The ‘Star Spangled Banner’ Became The National Anthem 117 Years After It Was Written.

Each year on July 4th, the United States celebrates Independence Day. This federal holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

• 1763 – Britain’s King George III subjects colonial America to harsh taxes and laws, which benefit the Crown, not the colonists
• 1765 – The British Parliament’s so-called Stamp Act taxes the colonists on any printed paper, including newspapers, legal documents, ships’ papers, and even playing cards.
• 1770 – British soldiers fire shots that kill 47-year-old Crispus Attucks, the first American and black man to die along with three other colonists in the Boston Massacre.
• 1773 – Disguised colonists seize a British ship and dump all the British tea overboard to avoid paying the taxes on it.
• 1775 – Battle of Bunker Hill – British soldiers under the command of General Howe launch a major attack on the fortified positions held by colonial militia outside of Boston. Despite being outnumbered, the militia put up fierce resistance and inflicted significant casualties on the British forces, who ultimately took the hill but at a high cost.
• 1775 – The Continental Congress issues a statement outlining the reasons the colonies have taken up arms against Britain, including complaints about violations of their rights as British citizens and Britain’s use of force to impose unjust laws.
• 1775 – King George III delivers a speech to the British parliament in which he declares the colonies to be in a state of rebellion and calls for military action to quell the uprising. This formal declaration of war further solidifies the colonists’ resolve to fight for their independence.
• 1776 – It was actually on July 2, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence began. It started with a letter to Britain’s King George to explain why the Continental Congress voted to declare America’s independence.
• 1776 – The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration.  It came out in the newspaper on July 6, 1776, for everyone to see, after a local printer named John Dunlap produced copies of the declaration’s manuscript.
• 1776 – Thomas Paine publishes a highly influential pamphlet, “Common Sense,” which argues for American independence from Britain. The pamphlet becomes a bestseller and helps to rally public opinion in favor of independence.
• 1776 – After much debate and discussion, the Continental Congress votes in favor of a resolution of independence, effectively severing political ties with Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, is adopted, setting the colonies on the path to becoming the United States of America.
• 1776 – One World Trade Center was designed to pay tribute to American history’s independence. The tower is exactly 1,776 feet tall to represent the year 1776.
• 1777 – The First Anniversary – Bristol, Rhode Island, fired thirteen gunshots in salute: once in the morning and once again in the evening. Philadelphia hosted an official dinner for the Continental Congress. There were also toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decorated with red, white, and blue bunting.
• 1778 – General George Washington gave his soldiers a double ration of rum and an artillery salute. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin hosted a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
• 1779 –  Since the holiday fell on a Sunday, celebrations were held on Monday, July 5th.
• 1781 – The Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4th as a state celebration.
• 1783 – Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, celebrated with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. The work was titled “The Psalm of Joy.”
• Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
• 1791 – The first recorded use of the name “Independence Day” occurred.
• 1801 – The White House celebrated Independence Day for the first time
• 1820 – Eastport, Maine, held the first Fourth of July celebration, and it remains the largest in the state.
• 1826 – Thomas Jefferson, 82, and John Adams, 90, both died on July 4, 1826, within five hours of each other on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
• 1831 – James Monroe died on July 4, 1831
• 1870 – The United States Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
• 1916 – The Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is held at the original Nathan’s Famous at Coney Island.
• 1938 – The United States Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.
• 1941 – Independence Day becomes a federal holiday.
• 1950 – Barbecues, parades, flag-raising ceremonies, and fireworks become the norm on Independence Day.
• 1958 – a history teacher assigned a class assignment to redesign the national flag as both Alaska and Hawaii neared statehood.  Robert G. Heft, who was 16 at the time, designed a new flag using the old 48-star flag and $2.87 worth of blue cloth and white iron-on material. His design earned him a B-minus, which he challenged by sending it to Washington, D.C., to be considered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• 1960 – According to his obituary, Heft was one of the thousands to submit a flag design but he was the only person who actually stitched together a flag and shipped it to D.C. Once the flag was selected, Heft’s grade was rightfully changed to an A. His design became the official flag in 1960.
• 1976 – Americans celebrate the country’s 200th birthday — the U.S. Mint issues a special Bicentennial quarter — with new designs featuring all 50 states.
• 2009 – New York City hosted the largest fireworks display in the country.
• 2019 – the United States imported $319 million in fireworks.
• 2020 – The National Retail Foundation estimates Americans will spend $6.52 billion on food to celebrate Independence Day.
• For 247 years, the country has been celebrating a day in history that still inspires us. On July 4th, communities host speeches and ceremonies across the nation. Across the country, people crowd cities for parades and festivals. Cities deck the streets in red, white, and blue bunting and flags.
• It was on July 4, that the final wording of the declaration was agreed upon.
• The Declaration of Independence has five parts. They are: the Preamble, the Statement of Human Rights, Charges Against Human Rights, Charges Against the King and Parliament, and the Statement of Separation and Signatures.
• Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.
• At noon, a “Salute to the Union” is fired, each July 4th, by any capable military base. This is a salute of one gun for each state in the United States.
•  Americans take their July 4 celebrations seriously. On this day, some 150 million hot dogs will be eaten!
• According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, the Fourth of July is the most popular day for grilling.
• There is Something Written on the Back of the Declaration of Independence. According to the History Channel, a simple message is written upside down at the bottom of the signed document that reads, “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.”   According to the same article, no one knows who wrote this or when, but it was believed to have been added as a label during the Revolutionary War, when parchment was frequently rolled for transport.
• The Declaration of Independence Was Written on a Laptop.  Okay, not a modern laptop, but still. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a writing desk that could fit over one’s lap. This device was referred to at the time as a “laptop.”
• The Term “Sign Your John Hancock”  comes from an actual guy named John Hancock.  He was the president of the Continental Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
• John Adams wrote a letter to his wife about how memorable Independence Day would be in American history.  In his letter, he said the day should be celebrated with parades, bonfires and fireworks.
• Americans spend over $1 billion on fireworks every year.  According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, the numbers continue to go up every year. The biggest celebration is the , which takes over 8,000 hours to prepare!
• There are 33 places in the United States with the word “liberty” in their names. According to the U.S. Census, four of them are counties — Georgia, Florida, Montana and Texas have a Liberty County.
• The ‘Star Spangled Banner’ Became The National Anthem 117 Years After It Was Written.
• According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed by Americans on the 4th of July each year. If lined up, that many hot dogs could stretch from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles more than five times.
• 2.5 million – the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation in 1776.
• 56 – the number of signers of the Declaration of Independence.
• 1st – signer was John Hancock.
• 70 – the age of the oldest signer, Benjamin Franklin.
• $4.0 million – the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags in 2013.
• $781,222 – the dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2013.
• $302.7 million – the annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners, and similar emblems by the country’s manufacturers.
• 1 in 4 – the number of people who will set off their own fireworks.
• 150 million – the number of wieners consumed nationwide on the holiday.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Macs Adventure

Wheels for Wishes

CNN

Hocking College

The Planet D

Good Housekeeping

Woman’s Day

National Today

Days of the Year