Fourth of July Facts That Will Make Everyone Say ‘Wow!’

Now that summer is in full swing, the days seem like they are only leading up to the 4^th of July! Between June 14^th, which is national flag day, and July 4^th, we in the United States begin to celebrate our nation. Every family or person has their traditions for celebrating, but what are some facts about the 4th of July that you don’t know?

Here are some facts about our Independence Day that you may not have known.

We did not celebrate Independence Day right away

According to the Library of Congress, while some people may have individually celebrated Independence Day, it wasn't actually until after the war of 1812 that Independence Day became a national holiday.

We are not supposed to wear flag apparel

While everyone on the fourth seems to wear the American flag on every clothing item they can put on their body, this is actually not allowed according to the U.S Flag Code. In an article from Insider, it is stated that “the US Flag Code originated from a fear of addressing the national flag in a way that was reminiscent of the Nazis. One of the guidelines is: "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery."

Americans eat the most hotdogs on the 4^th of July

According to a Forbes article, “Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday alone” which is crazy to think. But what’s even crazier is that if this number of hotdogs was laid out horizontally, it would stretch from Washington D.C to Los Angeles more than 5 times, which is stated by the Insider article.

Not one, but two U.S Presidents have died on the 4^th of July

According to the History Channel, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on Independence Day. What gets even creepier is that Adams died thinking Jefferson was the last to survive, however it was the other way around. This is because Jefferson died five hours before Adams!

More men experience firework injuries than any other on Independence Day

We all probably figured that Americans buy more fireworks for the fourth than any other holiday, but did you know that this comes with many injuries. However, according to a Fortune article, “The independent government agency notes that in a one-month period between June and July 2017, men experienced almost 70% of fireworks-related injuries.”

All facts were found from articles and websites linked. Check them out for more information!

Looking for the best firework shows in Southern Minnesota? Check out our 2022 SE Minnesota 4th of July Fireworks Guide!