Fourth of July Fun Facts

We hope you have a safe and happy GREAT American day!

• In one year, $600 million is spent on fireworks alone in the U.S.
• There are more than 14,000 firework displays across the country on Fourth of July.
• Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
• Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird, but John Adams and Thomas Jefferson overruled him, and recommended the bald eagle.
• Americans consume around 155 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July each year. They also spend $92 million on chips and $167.5 million on watermelon.
• 44 percent of Americans will watch fireworks or go to a community celebration.
• The colors of the fireworks are dependent on the chemicals used. Copper produces blue sparks, while a mix of salts and other substances make red. Sodium burns yellow and barium creates a green glow.
• U.S. Congress made the Fourth of July a legal federal holiday in 1870.
• New York City has the biggest firework display in the U.S.

Sources:

• 15 Fourth Of July Fun Facts And Trivia
• 4th of July Facts & Figures
• 5 Fantastic Fireworks Facts
• Three US presidents have died on July 4
• 9 Trivia Facts About Independence Day
• History.com: History of 4th of July
• WLWT.com: 7 facts you may not know about the Fourth of July