Celebrating Our Independence

On Friday our nation will celebrate Independence Day, marking the Colonies’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declared independence from Great Britain. We are all familiar with the traditional fireworks, family gatherings, grilling hot dogs and the parades associated with Independence Day, but we thought we would get your patriotic juices flowing with some July 4th fun facts! • Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870. In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. • Only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. All the others signed later. • The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies. • The average age of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45. The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) of South Carolina. The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania. The lead author of The Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33. • One out of eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated at Harvard (7 total). • The only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as President of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. • The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the Colonies would appear equal. • The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. This was also the day that the Declaration of Independence was first read in public after people were summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell. • The White House held its first 4th of July party in 1801. • President John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on July 4th. Adams and Jefferson (both signed the Declaration) died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826. • Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who recommended the bald eagle. • In 1776, there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation. Today the population of the U.S.A. is 316 million. • Fifty-nine places in the U.S. contain the word “liberty” in the name. Pennsylvania, with 11, has more of these places than any other state • Fireworks are part of the tradition of celebrating this national holiday. The U.S. imported $227.3 million worth of fireworks from China in 2012. U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $11.7 million in 2012, with Israel purchasing more than any other country ($2.5 million). • Approximately 150 million hot dogs and 700 million pounds of chicken are consumed on Independence Day each year. • Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not actually rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies. We hope that you and your family have a safe and fun Independence Day celebration this year! And remember, you can always count on Spencer to get your air conditioning system in great shape before your big celebration party. Give us a call today to learn more about keeping your home comfortable during the summer months. Find out more at spencerairconditioning.com or call us today at (972) 446- COOL (2665).