You’ve probably already heard fireworks going off in your area. Everybody loves the fourth of July. Fireworks, BBQs, parades, and fanfare. Sometimes it is good to just reflect on some of the facts and more obscure truths about the holidays we celebrate. We had to dig around to unearth some of these more obscure fun facts about July fourth, so savor and enjoy what you are about to read.
1. Some copies of the Declaration of Independence have a woman’s signature on them.
Even though Katharine Goddard was not one of the official signers in 1776, her name was added to the Declaration of Independence by the printer and publisher because Congress hired her to print copies of the Declaration of Independence.
2. Only two men signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th,1776
The only two men to actually sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, were John Hancock and Charles Thompson. The others signed it over the course of several weeks following the fourth.
3. July fourth did not become an official holiday until almost a century later.
In the first several decades following the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, it wasn’t common to celebrate this event. It was finally established as an official holiday in 1870. Since that time, it has become one of the most popular nonreligious celebrations in the United States.
4. Guess what building was designed to be exactly 1776 feet tall? The World Trade Center in New York was specifically designed to be 1,776 feet tall to represent the year America declared Independence from Great Britain.
5. The Liberty Bell has not been rung since 1846. However, every year on July 4, children who are descendants of the Signers of the Declaration participate in a celebration where they tap the liberty bell 13 times to honor the original 13 colonies. The bell was last rung on Washington’s birthday in 1846 when a large crack appeared on the bell.
6. In New England, there is a tradition of eating salmon and peas on the fourth of July that dates back centuries. Many still celebrate eating this dish on the fourth.
7. Other countries celebrate American Independence on the fourth of July. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, and England celebrate July fourth and American Independence as a way to honor their citizens who emigrated to America.
8. There are 31 towns in the United States that contain the word “Liberty.” Currently, the largest town in Liberty, Missouri, has a population of 32,865.
9. There is only one U.S. president born on the fourth of July, and that is Calvin Coolidge, America’s 3oth president.
10. The first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence was the Pennsylvania Evening Post which published it in its Saturday issue on July 6, 1776. There was also a German Translation of the document printed in the Pennsylvanisher Staatsbote, a newspaper that catered to Pennsylvania’s large German population.
Bonus fact: three U.S. presidents have died on the fourth of July: James Monroe, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.
We wish you a Happy Fourth of July!
