- Iowa has more places with ‘liberty’ in its name than any other state (there are 31 places nationwide). There are also places with ‘freedom’, ‘independence’ and ‘patriot’.
- Only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. All the others signed later.
- President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.
- Only 2.5 million people lived in the US in 1776, about 314 million live here now.
- Barbecue is big on Independence Day, with more than 74 million Americans planning one. We eat around 150 million hot dogs and buy around 700 million pounds of chicken.
- Fireworks are traditional on July 4th, but these were actually invented in China. The US imported $232.3 million worth of fireworks in 2011.
- The US imports about $3.6 million of American flags each year, most of them from China. (There should be a law against this!!!)
- In 2010 Mexico exported $486,026 worth of U.S. flags. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $256,407 worth that year.
Whatever you, your friends or family have planned for the 4th of July make is safe, fun and All American. And let’s all say a prayer for the longevity of this magnificent country we live in.
