Please help me celebrate my 55th and the nation’s 239th birthday today, please enjoy my fireworks this evening, and stay safe. The following fun facts were distributed in my work’s daily email blast, “Morning Java” on 2015-07-02.
Fun Facts
- In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly declared independent nation was 2.5 million.
- When Alaska and Hawaii became states, a fifty-star flag had to be designed. High school student Robert Heft produced such a flag as a school project and received a grade of B-. Robert sent his design to Dwight Eisenhower, who chose it over other designs. The grade was changed to A.
- Thirty-five places have “eagle†in their names. The most populous one is Eagle Pass, Texas (26,248).
- Eleven places have “independence†in their names. The most populous one is Independence, MO (116,830).
- Nine places have “freedom†in their names. The most populous one is New Freedom, PA (4,464).
- One place has “patriot†in the name, Patriot, IN (209).
- Five places have “America†In their names. The most populous is American Fork, Utah (26,263).
- The Fourth of July became a holiday only in 1870 and a federal legal holiday in 1941.
- John Adams thought the celebration would be the Second of July, since that was the actual date of the Declaration’s approval before its subsequent publication.