US Independence Day 2024: 10 Fun Facts About America

The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. 

The U.S. gained independence from Great Britain after the Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783.

The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia rang to announce the first public reading of the Declaration.

Boston, Massachusetts, was the site of the first-ever Independence Day celebration in 1783.

Independence Day wasn't declared a federal holiday until 1941.

The original American flag had 13 stars and stripes to represent the original 13 colonies.

Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display in New York City is one of the largest in the country.

Three U.S. presidents have died on July 4th: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both signers of the Declaration, died on July 4, 1826.

The city of Redwood, California, boasts the tallest living Fourth of July flagpole in the U.S.