On every fourth day of July, the entire nation hosts a birthday anniversary, usually celebrated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, picnics, concerts, hotdogs, and more. But before you fire up the grill and whip up some delicious burgers, take the time to check out these little-known facts about the holiday.
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of declaring independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was officially adopted two days later.
At the time, John Adams believed that July 2, not July 4, would be the date remembered by history. "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America,” Adams wrote. Adams later turned down July 4th party invitations.
Americans typically eat 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day, “enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times,” according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.
Legend has it that on July 4, 1916, four immigrants gathered at the very first Nathan's Famous hot dog stand in Coney Island and made eating contest history.
On July 4, 1776, the estimated population of the United States of America was 2.5 million. It is now 341,842,492, an unbelievable figure compared to the day the nation was born.
From 1960 to 2021, the population of the United States increased by 83.7%—that’s only 61 years.
On a scorching Fourth of July in Washington D.C, President Taylor attended the events celebrating the anniversary of American Independence. He gulped down a large quantity of cherries and iced milk before returning to the White House, where he also gulped down water. The food consumed by President Taylor made him sick, and he died on the evening of July 9, 1850
Denmark celebrates US independence. The tradition of Danes celebrating American independence in Denmark is as old as 1912. Denmark wanted to honor the United States’ open acceptance of Danish immigrants and to strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
July 4 is the number one holiday for beer sales in the U.S., according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association. George Washington gave his soldiers a double ration of rum to celebrate the July 4 holiday.
One World Trade Center in New York is 1,776 feet tall to mark the year the U.S. declared its independence from Britain. The center was built to replace the towers lost on 9/11.
Three Presidents have died on July 4th. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, while James Monroe, the fifth president, died on July 4, 1831.
