Happy Independence Day to all of America. In light of the holiday, here are some interesting facts and trivia you may not have known about the 4th of July and about the founding of the United States in general:
1.) Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be the turkey.
2.) There were around 2.5 million Americans in the United States in 1776.
3.) There are now over 300 million in America today.
4.) Mexico is the leading consumer of manufactured American flags.
5.) $3.4 million worth of American flags were made in China.
6.) The United States imported $193 million of fireworks from China in 2008.
7.) There is more than a 25% chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages that are being eaten today came from Iowa.
8.) 150 million hot dogs are eaten annually every July 4th in America.
9.) July 4th was not declared a national holiday until 1870.
10.) The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle in order to symbolize all the colonies were equal to each other.
11.) The first party for July 4th was held in 1801 at the White House.
12.) Congress actually voted for independence on July 2nd but the Declaration of Independence wasn’t finished until July 4th. When they went to print it, July 4th was the date at the top of the page. (Always remember to write the proper date kids!!)
13.) It is a felony to shoot a bald eagle.
14.) The Founding Fathers actually signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
15.) Two U.S. presidents died on July 4 – Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
