Happy Fourth of July from the Anderson Law Firm!
To celebrate the Fourth of July, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share some fun facts that you may or may not know about Independence Day and our nation's history. On behalf of everyone at the Anderson Law Firm, I'd like to wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July!
1. Fourth of July was first declared a national holiday in 1941.
2. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national animal but was outvoted by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson who chose the bald eagle.
3. In 2010 alone, the US imported fireworks from China worth an estimated $190.7 million.
4. The first White House Fourth of July party was in 1801.
5. More than 150 million hot dogs will be enjoyed on Fourth of July. That's about one frank for every two people in the US!
6. Interestingly, the majority of flags and other Fourth of July gear are actually made in China. Nearly $349 million worth of patriotic paraphernalia such as flags, banners and decorations are
imported each year.
7. The 13 stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were considered equal.
8. Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to ride in an automobile (I wonder if he ever got in any car accidents?)
9. There are 30 places nationwide with the word “liberty” in their name. Some examples include Liberty, MO and Libertyville, IA.
10. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the 50th Anniversary of Independence Day in 1826.
11. John Hancock was the only person to actually sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The other 55 signers did not sign it until August 2nd or even later.
12. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, there were 2.5 million people living in America. Now there is an estimated 310 million people living here.
13. In 1989, a bargain hunter bought a painting at a flea market for $4 and found that it had an original copy of the Declaration of Independence stuck between the canvas and the frame! He
later sold that same copy for $8.14 million!
