How much do you know about Independence Day? Here are some random facts and trivia!
* The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.
* The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’
* Before cars ruled the roadway, the Fourth of July was traditionally the most miserable day of the year for horses, tormented by all the noise and by the boys and girls who threw firecrackers at them.
* The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.
* The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.
* In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.
* Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.
* Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
* These events occurred on the Fourth of July: Henry David Thoreau moved into his shack on Walden Pond (1845); the U.S. air offensive against Nazi, Germany, began (1942); Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts (1964); Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act (1966)
* The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the Colonies would appear equal.
* Approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed on this day.
* There are more than 30 towns nationwide that have the word “Liberty” in their names.
How well do you know your American Trivia? The first person to get all of the above answers correct will receive a $100 Gift Certificate for any of Just Peachy Photography’s services! If no one gets them ALL correct, I’ll announce the highest amount on our blog and they will win a $50 Gift Certificate for any of our services. Good luck! Email your responses to Erika@justpeachyphotog.com please!
Contest ends July 6th at Midnight CST.
THE DATE
1. Which three presidents died on July 4?
2. Which president laid the cornerstone for the Washington Monument on July 4, 1850?
3. What was the title of the 1969 Broadway musical, written by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, that told the story of the founding of the United States?
4. What city in the American South fell to Ulysses S. Grant and Union forces on July 4, 1863, after a short siege?
5. What twin advice columnists were born on July 4, 1918?
6. In one of the wildest baseball games of all time, the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 16-13, in how many innings on July 4 (and 5), 1985?
THE FLAG
7. When was the Stars and Stripes authorized by Congress as the national flag?
8. The flag has 13 stripes. How many of them are red?
9. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing what?
10. Where and when was the first 50-star flag flown?
11. On the first U.S. flag, why were the stars displayed in a circle?
12. True or false: When the Pledge of Allegiance was published in 1892, the words “Under God” were not included.
THE PRESIDENTS
13. Which president served the shortest term?
14. Which president, to show his disdain for ceremony, would greet ambassadors in his pajamas?
15. Which president was the first to throw out the season-opening pitch for professional baseball?
16. To whom was the first telephone call made from the White House in 1878?
17. At 5 feet 4, who was the shortest president?
18. Which president’s pet parrot had to be ejected from his funeral for screaming obscenities at mourners?
19. Which president had the most children?
20. Eleanor Roosevelt made news in 1939 when she served what dish to visiting King George VI and Queen Elizabeth?
21. Which president, when short of funds, offered White House china as the ante in poker games?
22. Which president’s election was marred by charges of electoral vote corruption in Florida and other states after he lost the popular vote to his opponent?
23. Which well-dressed president was rumored to own 80 pairs of pants?
24. Who was the first chief executive to appear on television?
25. Which two presidents were signers of the Declaration of Independence?
sources: www.thepurpletrail.com, The Dallas morning news, www.cleveland.com
