Fourth of July Trivia
By Michael Pilligalli
Did you know that….?
July 4th was not declared a national holiday until 1870 - almost 100 years after the initial event.
The Liberty Bell is actually tapped on July 4th thirteen times once for each of the original 13 colonies.
The official vote of independence took place on July 2nd, and not on July 4th?
Americans spent more than $2 Billion dollars on fireworks in 2024 to commemorate July 4th. The first display of fireworks took place in Philadelphia in 1777 to celebrate our first year of independence.
There were 2.5 million people living in the USA on July 4th, 1776, and we now have a population of 347 million!
Early celebrations of independence included imitation funerals of King George III to show the end of his reign over our people.
Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th, 1826, exactly fifty years after their major role in the July 4th Independence Day. James Monroe died on July 4th, 1831.
Only two delegates actually signed the Jefferson penned document on July 4th as the rest signed on August 2, 1776, after the parchment copy was ready.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird as he considered the bald eagle “of bad moral character”.
We pledge allegiance to our flag of freedom, yet the Pledge was not written until 1892 and the Star Spangled Banner was written and sung for the War of 1812 and not the Revolutionary War.
It is said that Americans consume more than 150 million hot dogs at Fourth of July picnics!!
Red, White and Blue became celebrated patriotic colors not from the Revolutionary War Era, but during the Civil War even though they were part of our flag’s composition before that.