Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring the country's independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The Americans began observing the Fourth of July in 1777, when the first-ever Independence Day celebration in Philadelphia included a parade, a thirteen-shot cannon salute and fireworks, but Congress didn't make it official until 1870, when it made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees. In 1938, Congress changed the legislation to make it a paid federal holiday.
Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only US President to have been born on Independence Day.
According to the official census, 2.5 million people celebrated the first Independence Day, compared to over three hundred million people today.
Founding Father John Adams would turn down invitations to July 4 celebrations, believing that July 2 (the date the Continental Congress voted for American independence) was the correct date to celebrate Independence Day.
The 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the US. The town has thrown the celebration every year since 1785, except for a few years during the Civil War and World War II.
The Americans began observing the Fourth of July in 1777, when the first-ever Independence Day celebration in Philadelphia included a parade, a thirteen-shot cannon salute and fireworks, but Congress didn't make it official until 1870, when it made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees. In 1938, Congress changed the legislation to make it a paid federal holiday.
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| An 1825 invitation to an Independence Day celebration |
Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only US President to have been born on Independence Day.
According to the official census, 2.5 million people celebrated the first Independence Day, compared to over three hundred million people today.
Founding Father John Adams would turn down invitations to July 4 celebrations, believing that July 2 (the date the Continental Congress voted for American independence) was the correct date to celebrate Independence Day.
The 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the US. The town has thrown the celebration every year since 1785, except for a few years during the Civil War and World War II.
The parade is a major event in Bristol, drawing over 200,000 people from Rhode Island and around the world. It features marching bands, floats, and other patriotic displays. The parade culminates in a fireworks display over Bristol Harbor.
The famous Macy's fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC since 1976.
A Capitol Fourth, a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in celebration of Independence Day, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.
The Alaskan town of Glacier View doesn’t get dark enough for fireworks on July 4th. Instead, they drive cars off a cliff.
Here is a list of Fourth of July songs.
Source Time magazine
The famous Macy's fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC since 1976.
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| A Fourth of July fireworks display at the Washington Monument |
A Capitol Fourth, a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in celebration of Independence Day, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.
The Alaskan town of Glacier View doesn’t get dark enough for fireworks on July 4th. Instead, they drive cars off a cliff.
Here is a list of Fourth of July songs.
Source Time magazine
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