The 4th of July an awesome holiday which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on none other than July 4 (1776), declaring independence from the United Kingdom.
Here are some fun facts about the Fourth of July:
- The lead author of The Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33.
- The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) of South Carolina. The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania.
- 1 out of 8 signers of the signers were educated at Harvard (7 total).
- George Wythe was a professor at William & Mary and one of his students was Thomas Jefferson.
- The initial date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress was July 2, 1776.
- Congress revised the Declaration for final approval on July 4, 1776.
- Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870. (In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday)
- There were an estimated 2.5 million people living in the newly independent nation in 1776.
- 87.5% ($2.8 million) of imported U.S. flags are from China.
- Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not actually rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.
P.S., if you’re on Instagram, use hashtag #FN4July this weekend and get featured below!
