Happy Independence Day! 10 Trivia Facts About the 4th of July

Happy Independence Day!  10 Trivia Facts About the 4th of July

Firecrackers are going off as I write this.  The barbecue is over here and many of you have probably celebrated with your family and friends. 

Here is a little trivia you might not know about the 4th of July.

1.  Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence, died on the same day, which was July 4, 1826.   This was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

2.  Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872, and is the only president so far to be born on Independence Day.

3.  In 1778, General George Washington marked the 4th of July with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute.

4.  In 1820 the first 4th of July celebration was held in Eastport, Maine which remains the largest in the state.

5.  A salute of one gun for each state in the U.S. is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.

6.  In 2009, New York City had the largest fireworks display in the country, with over 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded.

7.  The first week in July is typically the busiest American travel periods of the year.

8.  In 1779 July 4th fell on a Sunday.  The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5th.

9.  In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.

10.  "A Capitol Fourth" is a free concert on the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C. on July 4th, and attracts over half a million people annually.