20 Fun Facts about the 4th of July

On this federal holiday, also known as Independence Day, marking the Colonies’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared independence from Great Britain and its king, we thought it would be appropriate to share some fun facts about this historic day.

We are already familiar with the fireworks, parades, barbecue, and festivities like picnics, fairs, concerts, and parties that take place on this day, but there are some things many people don’t know about the Fourth.

1. Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870. In 1938, Congress changed it to a paid federal holiday.

2. Only John Hancock and Charles Thomson signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The rest of the signers added their names later, beginning on August 2, 1776.

3. The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies.

4. The average age of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45. The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr. (27) of South Carolina, and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania. The lead author of the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33.

5. One out of eight signers of the Declaration of Independence was educated at Harvard (seven in total).

6. The only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as Presidents of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

7. Mary Katharine Goddard was not one of the official signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. However, in January 1777, she became the only woman whose name appeared on copies of the Declaration. The Continental Congress hired Goddard, a publisher and postmaster of Baltimore, to print copies of the document that included the names of all the signers.
These copies, known as the "Goddard Broadside", were the first to list all the signers' names and included the line:"Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard". While her name appeared as the printer, she was not an official signer of the Declaration.
This makes her the only woman directly associated with the distribution of the Declaration of Independence.

8. The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle, symbolizing equality among the colonies. According to legend, Betsy Ross suggested this design, though there is no historical evidence to confirm her involvement in creating the first flag.

9. The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence took place in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, at Independence Square. This event is often considered the first celebration of Independence Day. While popular stories mention the Liberty Bell ringing to summon people, there is no historical evidence confirming it.

10. The White House held its first 4th of July party in 1801, hosted by President Thomas Jefferson.

11. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe all died on the Fourth of July. Adams and Jefferson both passed away on the same day in 1826, within hours of each other.

12. Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey as a national symbol and expressed his opinion in a letter to his daughter. However, there is no evidence that he formally proposed this idea to John Adams or Thomas Jefferson, who supported the bald eagle as the national bird.

13. In 1776, the population of the newly formed United States was approximately 2.5 million. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was recorded as 331,449,281. By late 2023, estimates suggest that the U.S. population has grown to approximately 340 million.

14. The most common patriotic-sounding word used within place names in the U.S. is "Union". According to GeoTargit, there are 37 places named “"Union", though other sources suggest the number may be higher. Other commonly used names include Washington (88), Franklin (208), Jackson (95), and Lincoln (70), though the exact counts vary by source and methodology.

15. Fireworks are a key part of Independence Day celebrations. In 2023, the U.S. imported approximately $483 million worth of fireworks, with China as the leading supplier, accounting for 82% of global exports.

16. In 2017, the U.S. imported approximately 10 million American flags, 99.5% of which were made in China. However, in July 2024, the “All-American Flag Act” was passed, requiring the federal government to purchase flags made entirely from materials produced in the United States.

17. On Independence Day, Americans consume approximately 150 million hot dogs. If laid end to end, they would stretch across the United States five times between Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

18. Every 4th of July, the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped 13 times (not rung) in honor of the original 13 colonies.

19. The song "Yankee Doodle" originated as a British military tune mocking colonial troops during the French and Indian War. Over time, Americans adopted it as a patriotic anthem.

20. The melody of the U.S. National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner", comes from an English drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven".