News & Events
Independence Day is July 4
posted July 01, 2008In the United States, Independence Day (commonly known as the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones.
Some fun "fourth" facts according to the US Census Bureau:
2.5 million:
In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
304 million:
The nation’s population on this July Fourth.
More than 1 in 4:
The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina (9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the runners-up.
$207 million:
The value of fireworks imported from China in 2007, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million).
$349.2 million:
Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated US flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers, according to the latest published economic census data.
