Happy 4th Of July [0]! 231 years ago the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence declaring America's sovereignty. Today it's customary to celebrate the National holiday with red, white, and blue, fireworks and parades, stars and stripes, flags and bbqs. But before you go enjoy America to its fullest, take a quick look through my 4th of July [0] fun facts [0]! Chockful of useless information - unless you're attending a trivia night sometime soon - fun facts are great when there is a lull in party conversation. Memorize a few facts such as: Do you know what animal Benjamin Franklin preferred over the bald eagle as the official national animal? Do you know how many hot dogs are consumed at bbq [0]'s on today's date? For the answers to these questions and lots more tid bits of knowledge, all you have to do is dance like a chicken! No, I'm kidding, all you have to do is
- Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national animal but was outvoted when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson chose the bald eagle.
- Over an estimated 150 million hot dogs will be consumed today. That's roughly 1 dog for every two people in the U.S.
- Over $211 million has been spent on the importation of fireworks from China.
- Oddly, the majority of the nation's flags and patriotic paraphernalia in relation to the 4th of July is produced in China. Nearly $349 million dollars are used each year to import in the flags, banners, decorations, and emblems.
- The first 4th of July party held at the White House was in 1801.
- The words Under God were not added to the Pledge of Allegiance until the year 1954.
- More than 74 million Americans will bbq today. If you join them, check out FitSugar's healthy bbq round up [1].
- The 4th of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.
- The national anthem is actually set to the tune of an old English drinking song called To Anacreon in Heaven
- The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were equal.
Hope everyone has a fabulous day! Remember that fireworks are a fire hazard and scare animals, so be careful! Also, please don't drink and drive!