- For many Americans, the Fourth of July is a day of vacation and a time to picnic and barbecue with family and friends — but many people don't know the facts behind some of the Fourth's biggest traditions.
- Independence Day should actually be celebrated July 2, not July 4. The Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776, according to the National Archives.
- Americans consume an estimated 150 million hot dogs each year on the Fourth.
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For many Americans, the Fourth of July is a day off work, a time to celebrate with family and friends, and the perfect occasion to sport an American-flag printed swimsuit. However, many people don't know the facts and numbers behind the nation's favorite Fourth of July traditions.
Read on to discover July Fourth facts you definitely didn't learn in school about everything from Americans' hot dog and beer consumption to the real date of Independence Day.
Independence Day should technically be celebrated on July 2.
According to the National Archives, the Continental Congress actually voted for independence on July 2, 1776. And even though the written Declaration of Independence was dated July 4, it wasn't signed until August 2, 1776.
George Washington supposedly celebrated America's independence by giving double rations of rum to his solders in 1778.
According to the History Channel, prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, people living in the American colonies used to celebrate the king's birthday with "the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions, and speechmaking." During the summer of 1776, some colonists held mock funerals for King George III as a way of celebrating the nation's new freedom.
Three US presidents and Founding Fathers died on the Fourth of July: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, and James Monroe passed away five years later in 1831.
There were 2.5 million people living in the newly independent US on July 4, 1776, compared with the current 2019 population of 329 million, according to the US Census Bureau.
At the time of America's independence, of the 13 colonies, Pennsylvania had the highest estimated population of 434,373 people. The colony with the lowest estimated population in 1776 was Delaware, with 59,094, according to the US Census Bureau. It's important to note that these are estimates, as the US did not conduct its first official census survey until 1790.
Celebrating Independence Day wasn’t a federal holiday until 1870 — more than 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Celebrating Independence Day wasn't common until after the War of 1812. By the 1870s, the Fourth of July was one of the most important nonreligious holidays in the US.
The nation's oldest Fourth of July parade takes place in Bristol, Rhode Island. The town's Independence Day festivities date back to 1785 and now include a Miss and Little Fourth of July pageant.
Richard V. Simpson, a historian from the Rhode Island town, told Mental Floss that the first celebration in 1785 was a small affair with less than two-dozen attendees. Today, though, Bristol's Fourth of July celebration begins on Flag Day (June 14) with local events leading up to the Independence Day parade, which stretches 2.5 miles through the town.
On the Fourth of July in 1934, Hungarian-American physicist Leó Szilárd submitted an application to patent the atomic bomb.
On July 4, 1934, Leó Szilárd filed a patent application for the atomic bomb.
Wearing American flag apparel violates a set of guidelines called the US Flag Code.
The fashion industry thrives on reproducing symbols and designs, and the American flag — like flags of all nations — is certainly a powerful symbol that can communicate messages of politics, patriotism, and pride.
But in 1942, the US Flag Code was established to set guidelines about how the US flag should be displayed and used. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the US Flag Code originated from a fear of addressing the national flag in a way that was reminiscent of the Nazis. One of the guidelines is: "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery."
The code, however, is unenforceable. According to the Congressional Research Service, "the Flag Code does not prescribe any penalties for non-compliance nor does it include enforcement provisions."
The Fourth of July produces the highest beer sales out of all federal US holidays.
According to a 2016 report from the National Beer Wholesalers Association, Memorial Day and Labor Day, consecutively, have the next-highest beer sales behind the Fourth of July.
On the Fourth of July each year, Americans eat an estimated 150 million hot dogs, which, if laid out horizontally, would stretch from Washington, DC, to LA more than five times.
The data comes from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a trade association and part of the American Meat Institute.
Read more:The best hot dog in every state
Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was reportedly the first American to write an ice cream recipe.
Jefferson, the third US president and co-signer of the Declaration of Independence, likely had his first encounter with ice cream when he traveled to France between 1784 and 1789, according to the estate and historical society of Thomas Jefferson.
During his time as president, the dessert did become more popular because of how often he served it in the president's house, according to the historical society.
In 2018, Americans spent $6.9 billion on food for July 4 picnics and barbecues, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
In 2018, Americans spent approximately $6.9 billion on food for the Fourth of July, according to results from a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Fireworks caused eight deaths and nearly 13,000 injuries in 2017. Two-thirds of the fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms happened between mid-June and mid-July, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Two-thirds of the fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms happened between mid-June and mid-July, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Children ages 10 to 14 had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries in 2017.
Adults ages 20 to 24 had the second-highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries in 2017, according to a report from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Speaking of fireworks, Americans have spent more than $1 billion on fireworks each year since 2014.
2014 was the first year total revenue of the US fireworks industry (money spent on display fireworks and consumer fireworks in the US) surpassed $1 billion, according to data from the American Pyrotechnics Association.
There are 33 counties and US Census-incorporated places, such as monuments or parks, that include the word "liberty."
According to the US Census Bureau, as of 2016, there were 33 counties and US Census-incorporated places that contain the word "Liberty" in the name; four are counties in Texas, Georgia, Florida, and Montana.
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