| Alesandra Dubin, Yaa Bofah |
Francis Hopkins designed the American flag.
When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, few colonists wanted complete independence from Great Britain.
It was Dwight D. Eisenhower who added “under god” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Federal regulations specify that an American flag can only be flown from sunrise to sunset…
And technically, you’re not supposed to wear American flags, either.
The flag code states that “the flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.”
You can always catch a ball game on the 4th of July.
The population of the U.S. was about 2.5 million in 1776.
Compare that population with about 340 million Americans today.
The youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence was just 26 years old.
It was Edward Rutledge, who is a Founding Father and former governor of South Carolina.
Fireworks are a huge business…
In the early years of the republic, Independence Day was commemorated with speeches, parades, and other festivities.
These events gave rise to the federal political party system, with formalized venues and occasions for leaders and constituents to discuss issues.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first of the American Revolution.
These confirmed the majority of the colonists’ alienation from England, and set the stage for the colonies’ guerilla warfare defense against the British.
The Seige of Yorktown ended military operations in the American Revolution.
This joint France-America effort trapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia, forcing it to surrender.
The Safe and Sane 4th of July movement came about in the late 19th and early 20th century.
It was a response to the heavy drinking and injuries that had risen along with the holiday traditions.
Americans spend close to $10 billion on 4th of July food…
The Star Spangled Banner became the national anthem in 1931.
About 50 million Americans travel more than 50 miles from home…
…during the holiday weekend, according to WalletHub data from 2023. That’s a new record.
The oldest continuously running 4th of July parade is in Bristol, Rhode Island.
But the longest one is in Alameda, California.
Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs per year.
Alesandra is a digital travel and lifestyle journalist based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Prevention, Insider, Glamour, Shondaland, AFAR, Parents, TODAY, and countless other online and print outlets. Alesandra has a masters degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. An avid traveler, she trots the globe with her husband and their twins.
Yaa Bofah is an editorial fellow at Good Housekeeping. She is a freelance illustrator and created original cover art for The Fashion Bomb Daily’s first e-book series. She enjoys supporting philanthropic endeavors and being an advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.Â
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