The Fourth of July, formally known as Independence Day in the United States, is best known for its red, white, and blue adornment of food, drink, fireworks, and of course, outdoor festivities with family and friends. The holiday is a summertime staple. Before you break out the sparklers, sunscreen, and barbecue grill on this most-celebrated U.S. federal holiday, you might enjoy checking out some historical trivia.  

Since this is the year 2023 – 247 remarkable years after the Declaration of Independence was signed – I gathered 23 notable facts, figures, and events that shaped U.S. history. Many are little known or long forgotten. Some may surprise or delight you. Most will deepen your appreciation for how the United States of America came to be! 

1. The Continental Congress voted for Independence Day to be on July 2, 1776. John Adams, at the time a Massachusetts delegate for the Continental Congress, wanted the holiday to be celebrated on July 2, but that’s not the day we celebrate our nation’s independence. We celebrate on July Fourth because that was the day the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted.
2. When people think of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, they likely think of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, but there were 56 signers in total. Edward Rutledge was the youngest at the age of 26, while Benjamin Franklin was the eldest at age 70. All were either immigrants to North America (8) or enjoyed immigrant ancestry (48). All risked their livelihoods and lives to pursue the dream of severing ties with Great Britain and forming a new nation.
3. President Zachary Taylor died in 1850, after only 16 months in office, following his Fourth of July speeches. Taylor was a military leader before serving briefly as president from 1849 to 1850. Although many believe it was from eating spoiled fruit, the exact cause of his death is still disputed by some historians.
4. In 1781, Massachusetts became the first state to declare July 4 an official state holiday. Despite its early adoption as a state holiday, July Fourth wasn’t declared a federal holiday until 1870.
5. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped 13 times every Fourth of July in honor of the original 13 British colonies that settled on North America’s Atlantic coast (including in Pennsylvania). They were also known as the Thirteen American Colonies, and later, the United Colonies.
6. Three U.S. presidents died on July 4. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on this day in 1826. This is one of the most ironic Fourth of July facts. These two famous signers of the Declaration of Independence both died on its 50th anniversary. James Monroe, the fifth U.S. president, would later die on July 4, 1831.
7. Calvin Coolidge is the only president who was born on July 4. Coolidge served as governor of Massachusetts and vice president before being elected president in 1923.
8. Americans spend more than $1 billion on fireworks each year. Unfortunately, hospitals have an influx of patients on the Fourth of July due to fireworks-related incidents. Approximately 15,600 people were treated in hospital emergency departments for fireworks injuries in 2020, and at least 18 died. Please everyone – safety first!
9. The Star-Spangled Banner became the United States’ national anthem in 1931. The ballad was written by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814.
   
10. Bristol, Rhode Island, was home to the first Fourth of July parade in 1785. Today, Bristol hosts an annual celebration that begins on Flag Day and commences with a parade on July 4.
11. Coney Island, New York, hosts a famous, televised hot-dog-eating contest every year on the Fourth of July. Nationally, approximately 150 million hotdogs are consumed on Independence Day – enough to stretch all the way from D.C. to L.A. more than five times!
12. The Philippines also celebrates their independence on July 4. After falling under Japanese control during World War II, the U.S. and Filipino forces fought together to regain control. They gained their independence on July 4, 1946.
13. George Washington celebrated the Fourth of July by giving his soldiers a double ration of rum. Soldiers often went days without food despite supposed daily rations. Read more about food rations for soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
14. Guidelines for U.S. flag etiquette, including rules for the Fourth of July, can be found in the U.S. Flag Code. Congress passed a joint resolution on June 22, 1942, to establish the U.S. Flag Code.
15. Our Canadian neighbors to the north celebrate their independence just three days before we do, on July 1, the anniversary of the Constitution Act. The Act joined three territories together in 1867, therefore establishing the single nation of Canada.
16. There are more that 334 million people living in the United States today. At the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there were only 2.5 million.
17. On July 6, 1776, the Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence, published by Benjamin Towne. The Post was also the first daily newspaper in the United States.
18. Prior to the Civil War, it was deemed unpatriotic for businesses to remain open on the Fourth of July.
19. There have been 27 versions of the U.S. flag. The original flag featured 13 stars and stripes for the 13 colonies. Today’s version of the flag gained a 50th star in 1960 to represent Hawaii’s statehood.
20. At least 30 places in the United States contain the word ‘liberty’ in their name. Florida, Georgia, Montana, and Texas each have a Liberty County, and the largest U.S. city bearing the moniker is Liberty, Missouri, with a population of 30,377.
21. Not all Americans gained freedom on July 4, 1776. Enslaved Black and African American people in United States didn’t gain their freedom until June 19, 1865.
22. President Barak Obama’s daughter Malia was born on July 4, 1998. As a result of their accomplishments, Malia and her younger sister Sasha were named two of the most influential teens of 2014 by Time magazine.
23. As president of the second Continental Congress, John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. 

We wish you a happy Fourth!  

While there is so much more to know about this day of celebration in the United States, I hope you enjoyed this historical perspective. Most Americans do not work on the Fourth of July, which offers a nice respite from business as usual. At Goodwin Recruiting, we wish you a safe and memorable holiday! And when business resumes, we hope to connect with you to support your talent acquisition needs – or your next career opportunity.