Big Idea

• What did John Adams suggest to his wife about how to celebrate Independence Day?
• Which newspaper was the first to print the Declaration of Independence?
• Which three Presidents, who signed the Declaration of Independence, died later on the 4th of July?
• Why does the Liberty Bell ring 13 times every Independence Day?
• Read more to find out the answers to these questions and more...

Happy Independence Day!

I hope you are celebrating your freedom with friends and family. I thought we could celebrate with a little trivia.

Here are 10 fun Facts You Never Knew About the 4th of July. 

• Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
  Four others were also on the committee  Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Robert Livingston.
  
  
• John Adams wrote a letter to his wife about how memorable Independence Day would be in American history.
  He was obviously right — in his letter  he said the day should be celebrated with parades, bonfires and fireworks.
  
  
• The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration.
  It came out in the newspaper on July 6, 1776 for everyone to see, after a local printer named John Dunlap produced copies of the declaration's manuscript.
  
  
• An estimated 2.5 million people lived in the nation in July 1776.
  As of July 2020, about 330 million people live in the U.S., according to the United States Census.
  
  
• Three presidents who signed the Declaration of Independence died on July 4.
  John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826 — on the 50th anniversary of the country's independence. James Monroe died five years later on July 4, 1831.
  
  
• The Liberty Bell rings 13 times every Independence Day to honor the 13 original states.
  Descendants of people who signed the Declaration of Independence tap the bell, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 2 p.m. eastern time every 4th of July.
  
  
• Independence Day was once celebrated on July 5.
  The holiday fell on a Sunday in 1779, so the country celebrated on July 5th instead.
  
  
• U.S. soldiers got a special treat on the 4th of July in 1778.
  George Washington helped the troops celebrate by allowing them a double ration of rum, according to Live Science.
  
  
• Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the 4th of July.
  That probably helped his presidential campaign, right?
  
  
• The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both signed in Philadelphia. 
  The Constitution was signed in September of 1787, a little over 11 years after the Declaration of Independence. While both are important to U.S. history, they are totally separate documents with different meanings.