Fireworks and Freedom: 7 Fascinating 4th of July Fun Facts

Here are some fun and festive facts about the 4th of July to share on social media, at a BBQ, or just to impress your friends 🇺🇸🎆:

1. The Declaration Wasn’t Signed on July 4th -Only adopted on July 4, 1776. Most of the Founding Fathers signed it on August 2nd!

2. John Adams Predicted the Wrong Date

   -Adams thought July 2nd would be Independence Day since Congress actually voted for independence on July 2, 1776.

3. Fireworks Tradition Dates Back to 1777

   -The first organized 4th of July fireworks show was held in Philadelphia in 1777, just a year after the Declaration.

4. Hot Dogs Are a Must 🌭

   -Americans eat around 150 million hot dogs on the 4th of July — enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times!

5. It Wasn’t Always a Federal Holiday

   -The 4th of July became an official federal holiday in 1870, nearly 100 years after the Declaration.

6. Three Presidents Died on July 4th

   -John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe all died on Independence Day. Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary.

7. The Liberty Bell Hasn’t Been Rung Since 1846

   -It cracked irreparably on George Washington’s birthday and now just symbolically “rings” on the 4th using a recording.

   
   

Do you know of any other fascinating facts about 4th of July? We'd like to hear about it!