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John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail, that he wanted Independence Day to be celebrated with pomp, parade, shows, and "Illuminations." This original letter was written when Adams presumed that Independence Day would be celebrated on July 2.

Fireworks = An American Tradition Dating Back to 1777
Fireworks date back as a tradition of Independence Day as early as the first anniversary in 1777.

Bottoms Up With 2x the Rum
On the second anniversary of Independence Day in 1778, American troops were fighting the American Revolutionary War. During this time, George Washington ordered a double ration of rum for American soldiers to celebrate the holiday with.

Men Love Fireworks... $1 Billion Worth
According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, Americans spend more than $1 billion on fireworks each year. Out of this, only 10% of firework displays are set off professionally, which probably accounts for the estimated 12,900 firework-related emergency room visits across the country.

According to Fortune Magazine, of those injuries occurring between June and July, almost 70% were experienced by men.

The Declaration of Independence Was Written on a Laptop.. Okay, not a modern laptop, but still. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a writing desk that could fit over one's lap. This device was referred to at the time as a "laptop."

The Average Age of The Signers Was 45 Years
Of the 56 signers, the youngest signers, Thomas Lynch Jr. and Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, were only 26. However, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest signer at 70 years old.

One Signed Later Recanted the Declaration of Independence
Richard Stockton, a lawyer from New Jersey, became the only signer of the Declaration of Independence to recant his support of the revolution after being captured by the British in November 1776 and thrown in jail. After years of abusive treatment, and his recanting of loyalties, Stockton was released to find all of his property destroyed or stolen by the British. His library, one of the finest in the colonies, was burned to the ground.

There is Something Written on the Back of the Declaration of Independence.. and no, it isn't a treasure map written in invisible ink. According to the History Channel, a simple message is written upside-down across the bottom of the signed document that reads, "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776."

According to the same article, no one knows who wrote this or when, but it was believed to have been added as a label during the years of the Revolutionary War when parchment was frequently rolled up for transport.

Only Two Men Signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776
Charles Thompson and the infamous John Hancock were the only two men who actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The other 54 delegates signed over the course of the next month.

Only Two Men Signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776
Charles Thompson and the infamous John Hancock were the only two men who actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The other 54 delegates signed over the course of the next month.

Americans Will Enjoy 150 Million Hot Dogs During the 4th
According to the National Sausage and Hot Dog Council (NHDSC), Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday. This is part of an estimated 7 billion that are expected to be eaten during the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The Designer of the 50-Star Flag Lived in Lancaster, Ohio
Robert G. Heft | 15 Fun Facts About the Fourth of July
In 1958, a history teacher assigned a class assignment to redesign the national flag as both Alaska and Hawaii neared statehood.
Robert G. Heft, who was 16 at the time, designed a new flag using the old 48-star flag and $2.87 worth of blue cloth and white iron-on material. His design earned him a B-minus to which he challenged by sending it to Washington D.C. to be considered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
According to his obituary, Heft was one of thousands to submit a flag design but he was the only person who actually stitched together a flag and shipped it to D.C.
Once the flag was selected, Heft's grade was

The U.S. Flag Code states that you are in violation if you sell or display any “article of merchandise . . . upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of [the flag... in order to] advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed.” That being said, in this instance, the Flag Code is not enforced or even enforceable, so don't worry - you won't get arrested by the Flag Police.

We Didn't Actually Declare Independence on the 4th of July
One of the greatest misconceptions of the 4th of July lies in the name and date. It is widely believed that America declared their independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. However, the official vote actually took place two days before and the “Declaration” was published in papers on July 4.

How many of you own a flag t-shirt, beach towel, shorts, headband, or any other item that is representative of the U.S. flag? Turns out that you're in violation of the U.S. Flag Code.

It has never been easier to celebrate from the comfort of your home
Livestreams of this year's Independence Day celebrations will be happening across the nation. This year's A Capitol Fourth will stream festivities from Washington, D.C. The event will feature live performances from, among others, Chicago, Babyface and Belinda Carlisle — and will include what organizers call the "greatest display of fireworks in the nation," captured by 20 different camera views.

The U.S. is not the only country celebrating freedom on July 4
It is also Liberation Day in Rwanda, and it's Republic Day in the Philippines. At least in the U.S., expect celebrants to consume somewhere in the realm of 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day this year.

July Fourth celebrations make for busy ERs:

U.S. emergency rooms see an uptick of injuries on the Fourth. Fireworks injuries are among the most common reasons for ER visits. If you're handling fireworks this year, keep in mind that 29% of fireworks injuries happen to hands and fingers. Some 10,200 people were injured by fireworks in 2022 (and 73% of those injuries occurred during the one month surrounding the holiday.)

5. Fireworks displays can significantly worsen air quality
As parts of the U.S. battle air quality issues caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires, there's concern about how some large fireworks displays can contribute to worsened air quality. Some regions are experimenting with drone shows to replace traditional fireworks displays.

4. Feelings of pride and patriotism in the U.S. are at a low
According to a 2022 Gallup poll, only 38% of Americans consider themselves extremely proud to be American. Still, according to the National Retail Federation, some 87% of Americans are planning to celebrate Independence Day this year.

3. The Fourth of July is a big day for consumer spending
This year, Americans are expected to spend around $9.5 billion on food alone, and in 2022 revelers spent $2.3 billion on fireworks. Spending on the holiday used to be a faux pas; before the Civil War, it was considered unpatriotic for businesses to remain open on July Fourth.

1. There have been 27 different versions of the official U.S. flag from 1777 to 1960
Out of these 27 changes, 25 of them were made only to the stars on the flag. Since 1818, the number of stars on the flag, by law, must always reflect the number of states in the United States, with new stars added to the flag on July 4 in the year following their admission. The last was Hawaii's star after it was admitted in 1959.

The Fourth of July is a big day for consumer spending. ..

There are numerous celebrations of U.S. Independence Day abroad. ...