Fourth of July Fun Facts

Each year on July 4th, Americans come together to celebrate Independence Day: a holiday marked by fireworks, backyard barbecues, parades, and a strong sense of national pride. But beyond the red, white, and blue decorations lies a rich history and a collection of fascinating facts that many people don't know about the birth of the United States.

• The Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On that day, the Second Continental Congress officially declared the thirteen American colonies free from British rule. Although the actual vote for independence occurred on July 2, the final wording of the Declaration was approved on July 4. Because that date was printed on the first copies, it stuck as the official holiday. The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers because, if independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.
• Fireworks have been a part of the celebration since the very first anniversary in 1777, when they lit up the skies of Philadelphia. Back then, cannons and muskets were also fired as part of the festivities. 
• On the second anniversary of Independence Day in 1778, American troops were still fighting the American Revolutionary War. George Washington ordered a double ration of rum for his soldiers to celebrate the holiday.
• Thomas Jefferson believed that a new Constitution should be written every 19 years. In a letter to James Madison, he asked if "one generation of men has the right to bind another," saying that otherwise "the lands would belong to the dead, and not to the living, which would be the reverse of our principle."
• In a poetic twist of history, three U.S. Presidents have died on July 4: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe.
• According to legend, the origin of Uncle Sam began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson, a meat packer who provided meat to the U.S. Army, stamped the meat shipments with the initials U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for "Uncle Sam." This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.
• Independence Day was not made a federal holiday until 1870, and it didn't become a paid federal holiday until 1941.
• Hot dog sales increase by an average of 20.0% each July. According to the National Sausage and Hot Dog Council (NHDSC), Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs each Fourth of July. That's enough to stretch from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times! The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, held every year on Coney Island, has become a bizarre yet beloved part of the holiday tradition for some people.
• Last year, Americans spent a total of $9.4 billion on food and an estimated $3.87 billion on alcohol (mostly beer) for their July 4th celebrations. In 2025, Wells Fargo projects that Americans will spend about $130 per 10 guests, up 2.2% from last year. 
• According to Capital One Shopping statistics, Americans spend over $2 billion on Independence Day fireworks in 2024. They estimated that 28% of Americans purchased fireworks for the holiday last year, with an average cost of $27 for around 3 pounds of fireworks. But be careful: in 2020, an estimated 15,600 people were hospitalized with injuries related to fireworks.

Whether you're watching fireworks, grilling with friends, or reflecting on the country's roots, the Fourth of July is a time to celebrate freedom, resilience, and the enduring spirit of the American people.