45 Fun 4th of July Facts We Bet You Didn't Know
Share this fun Independence Day trivia at your upcoming holiday BBQ.
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In the United States, the 4th of July is all about mid-summer fun: Planning an epic barbecue menu, coming up with cool pool party ideas and figuring out the best spots to watch the fireworks. But behind all that fun is a revolutionary fight for independence, and nearly 250 years of rich history and traditions.
Think you know all about it? Put yourself to the test with our list of fun 4th of July facts and trivia. These historical and fun bits of information are also great for sharing at those Independence Day parties — and especially for educating and quizzing kids on their knowledge.
Do you know the first — and the last — battles of the Revolutionary War? How about the number of hot dogs Americans consume each year? Or the amount of money we spend on fireworks? Or why we fold the flag into a triangle? Or that it's technically forbidden to wear an American flag? (True story.) It's all in here!
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The first public 4th of July event at the White House took place in 1801.
Thomas Jefferson was president, and, according to the White House Association, the day was filled with music, food and even horse racing.
Francis Hopkins designed the American flag.
Or, more specifically, he claimed his did, but this claim has not been officially verified with evidence.
When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, few colonists wanted complete independence from Great Britain.
Those who did were viewed as radicals.
It was Dwight D. Eisenhower who added "under god" to the Pledge of Allegiance.
The change happened in 1954, according to the Reagan Foundation.
Federal regulations specify that an American flag can only be flown from sunrise to sunset…
…unless it is illuminated at night.
And technically, you're not supposed to wear American flags, either.
The flag code states that "the flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery."
You can always catch a ball game on the 4th of July.
And this year, all 30 MLB teams will play on Independence Day.
The population of the U.S. was about 2.5 million in 1776.
Compare that population with about 340 million Americans today.
The youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence was just 26 years old.
It was Edward Rutledge, who is a Founding Father and former governor of South Carolina.
Fireworks are a huge business...
...to the tune of about $600 million in fireworks imports to the U.S. each year.
In the early years of the republic, Independence Day was commemorated with speeches, parades, and other festivities.
These events gave rise to the federal political party system, with formalized venues and occasions for leaders and constituents to discuss issues.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first of the American Revolution.
These confirmed the majority of the colonists' alienation from England, and set the stage for the colonies' guerilla warfare defense against the British.
The Seige of Yorktown ended military operations in the American Revolution.
This joint France-America effort trapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia, forcing it to surrender.
The Safe and Sane 4th of July movement came about in the late 19th and early 20th century.
It was a response to the heavy drinking and injuries that had risen along with the holiday traditions.
Americans spend close to $10 billion on 4th of July food...
...according to WalletHub.
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The Star Spangled Banner became the national anthem in 1931.
President Herbert Hoover signed the congressional resolution making it so.
About 50 million Americans travel more than 50 miles from home...
...during the holiday weekend, according to WalletHub data from 2023. That's a new record.
The oldest continuously running 4th of July parade is in Bristol, Rhode Island.
It dates all the way back to 1785, according to the town's site.
But the longest one is in Alameda, California.
According to the town's website, the route spans 3.3 miles. It takes folks about two hours to complete.
Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs per year.
...according to data from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.
Alesandra is a digital travel and lifestyle journalist based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Prevention, Insider, Glamour, Shondaland, AFAR, Parents, TODAY, and countless other online and print outlets. Alesandra has a masters degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. An avid traveler, she trots the globe with her husband and their twins.
Yaa Bofah is an editorial fellow at Good Housekeeping. She is a freelance illustrator and created original cover art for The Fashion Bomb Daily’s first e-book series. She enjoys supporting philanthropic endeavors and being an advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
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