Happy Birthday, America! Independence Day is celebrated on July 4th each year. In 2024, America will celebrate its 248th birthday as independence was achieved from Great Britain following the Revolutionary War. The founding fathers signed this declaration on July 4, 1776.
Upcoming Independence Day Dates
| Year | Day and Date |
| 2024 | Thursday, July 4 |
| 2025 | Friday, July 4 |
| 2026 | Saturday, July 4 |
Little Known Fourth of July Facts
The Real Independence Day?
The Declaration of Independence was announced on July 4th, though the formal signing didn’t occur until August 2nd, and the colonies actually voted to accept it on July 2nd. So you may wonder – what day is the real Independence Day?
John Adams, who first proposed the idea of declaring independence from England, wrote a famous letter to his wife, Abigail, about how he believed July 2nd would be a day that was remembered and celebrated in America for years to come. Apparently everyone else remembered otherwise…
Old Glory
Did you know that there have been 28 versions of the US flag to date, and that the most recent one, designed after Alaska and Hawaii joined the union, was the result of a school project? Robert Heft was 17 when he came up with the flag design in 1958. He originally got a B- on the project, but when his pattern won the national competition to become the next flag, his teacher raised his grade to an A.
A Patriotic Death?
Three American presidents have died on the fourth of July. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, in 1826, just hours apart. They had been rivals in everything, even about who would live longest. Adams’ last words were about his long-time foe: “Thomas Jefferson lives!” In fact, Jefferson had died just five hours earlier, but Adams hadn’t gotten the message. The two actually became friends in their later years, with extensive correspondence. Their letters to each other are published in several books.
James Monroe is the third president to die on July 4th, but he died in 1831.
Why Fireworks On the Fourth of July?
Fireworks are a staple of many Independence Day celebrations. The enormous, colorful displays light up the night sky all across the United States—everything from private displays to world-famous pyrotechnics shows such as the one held in Boston. But how did fireworks become a great American Independence Day tradition?
Fireworks Origins
The modern displays that we know today originally came from China. The very earliest forms came from a discovery almost 2,000 years ago when people would heat bamboo stalks until they blackened and exploded under the pressure of heated air inside them. These would have been the original “firecrackers,” but true gunpowder-fueled explosives didn’t come till a bit later—sometime between 600 A.D. and 900 A.D. when alchemists in China started filling stalks of bamboo with the explosive substance.
Rockets Red Glare?
The first “rockets” were originally used as military weapons, starting with an improvement to the fire arrow that included affixing small packets of gunpowder to the arrow. These were produced by the Chinese in the 12th century, but they were very unpredictable and dangerous to use. It’s from the developments of gunpowder explosives and primitive rockets that the colorful explosives we know today came from. Over the years, alchemists started adding new ingredients to the mix, like iron shavings and steel dust, to give fireworks their sparkle.
Fireworks Come to Europe
As centuries passed, Chinese fireworks became popular elsewhere in the world, too. The Silk Road, which allowed for trade between Europe and the East, saw the secrets of gunpowder and fireworks making their way to Europe in the 13th century. During the Renaissance, Europeans used them at various celebrations. Anne Boleyn’s coronation as Queen of England in 1533 featured a large fireworks display, and in particular, Peter the Great and King Louis XIV were big fans of fireworks, noted for using them in a variety of European celebrations.
How To Ease Your Dog’s Fear of Fireworks
Fireworks—An American Tradition
Our current fascination with Fourth of July fireworks has its roots deep in American history. Even before the final version of the Declaration of Independence was signed, John Adams envisioned great celebrations in the future, ones that would include fireworks. In fact, in the same letter, referenced above that he wrote on July 3, 1776—just the day before the Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence—he said that festivities should include:
Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forever more.
John Adams
Those illuminations that he referred to? You guessed it… fireworks!
It is also said, that fireworks displays were used as morale boosters for soldiers in the Revolutionary War. At the time however, fireworks were the same type of explosives used in war and were called rockets, not fireworks. And so colonists celebrated the fourth even before they knew if they would win the war. Fireworks were further popularized in the late 1700s by politicians that had displays at their speeches, and they became a firmly established tradition by the 1800s.
The First Fireworks Display
Although July 4, 1776, didn’t see any fireworks, in 1777, the first Fourth of July fireworks were lit over Philadelphia’s night sky. The Pennsylvania Evening Post wrote this of the celebration: The evening was closed with the ring of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with thirteen rockets) on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.
Boston also held a display in 1777, and from there, the tradition took off. By 1783, the public could purchase all kinds of fireworks for their own Fourth of July celebrations.
From those early celebrations, displays have grown and become extraordinary feats of pyrotechnics. These days, estimates from the American Pyrotechnics Association say that more than 14,000 fireworks display glitter in America’s night sky on Independence Day.
Fireworks may have started as a Chinese invention 2,000 years ago, but they’ve been a part of American traditions since the very founding of this nation. As technology improves and pyrotechnics technicians work hard to put on bigger and more beautiful displays each year, this is one American tradition that will just keep growing!
Fourth of July Weather Lore
Ever Hear The Expression “Knee High by the Fourth of July” Before?
Here at Farmers’ Almanac, we share a lot of folklore and old-timey wisdom, which is very popular with our readers. Whether it’s forecasting the weather or advice about gardening in your back yard, there are countless old “adages” that have been passed down from the generations, many still in circulation today. One you may have heard is “Knee High by the Fourth of July.” But what does it mean?
Corn Farmers’ Measuring Stick
“Knee High by the Fourth of July” is an old saying once used by farmers to measure the success of their corn crops. Years ago, if corn had grown knee-high by Independence Day, it was a good sign and meant they could count on high yields for the year. Today, however, that sentiment is a bit different. Due to the advancements in agriculture, growing techniques, and disease and pest control, corn farmers can expect plants to reach 8 feet by midsummer, if growing conditions are good, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Now, knee-high doesn’t quite measure up.
That being the case, you may want to look to the Oklahoma musical instead. In the classic lyrics from the “Oh What A Beautiful Morning,” a corn stalks’ growing success is measured a bit differently:
There’s a bright, golden haze on the meadow.
The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye
And it looks like it’s climbing clear up to the sky.
Whether your corn is knee-high or as high as an elephant’s eye by July 4th, we want to know! Tell us in the comments below.
Popular Independence Day Recipes
- Fried Chicken, An American Original
- Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Hot Dog
- Superfoods on the Grill!
Join The Discussion
What is one of your favorite ways to celebrate the Fourth of July?
Know a bit of trivia that you would like to share with us?
Share with your community here in the comments below!
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245th birthday! Not 246th
Okay, let’s face the facts, this tradition is not good for the environment for these reasons fireworks cause extensive air pollution in a short amount of time, leaving metal particles, dangerous toxins, harmful chemicals and smoke in the air for hours and days. Some of the toxins never fully decompose or disintegrate, but rather hang around in the environment, poisoning all they come into contact with.
No matter what you say people are still going to do it and it’s your opinion whether the tradition’s not good for the environment but I do agree with If not handled properly, fireworks can cause burns and eye injuries in kids and adults. Attend public fireworks displays, and leave the lighting to the professionals.
To be honest, anyone I’ve talked to who has been to war has said that the fireworks we set off sound a lot like gunfire and howitzers. Therefore, I do not believe that it is appropriate to continue such a practice. It sounds like veterans with ptsd would be traumatized all over again.
I agree, it does sound a lot like gunfire and howitzers I also believe that because fireworks cause extensive air pollution in a short amount of time, leaving metal particles, dangerous toxins, harmful chemicals and smoke in the air for hours and days. Some of the toxins never fully decompose or disintegrate, but rather hang around in the environment, poisoning all they come into contact with.
Karen McKinney & Isa – As a Special Forces Veteran, I’ve served multiple combat tours. If it were to sound like howitzers, those would be 105mm and 155mm, both friendly. And if it sounds like howitzers, that would be outgoing, and one has much more to fear from incoming! Too, if a supposed Veteran can’t tell the difference between outgoing and incoming, they’re either pulling your leg to try for sympathy or prevaricating about their status and should be ignored. Btw, for your information, I have combat-induced PTSD, and although fireworks provoke a startle reaction, I quite enjoy the patriotic celebration of our nation’s independence, knowing that the environmental damage is minimal and nothing compared to a volcano eruption, the damage caused by Red China and India on a daily basis, or the effects of armed conflict between nations. For today, blame Russia for invading Ukraine with all the “pyrotechnics” being used in that armed conflict.
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