- Contrary to popular belief, only two Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The majority of signers penned their signatures on August 2, 1776.
- The holiday does not celebrate the signing of the Declaration; it celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress.
- In a now-famous letter to his wife, Abigail, dated July 3, 1776, John Adams made a prediction that the “Second Day of July” would be celebrated as American Independence Day, since the Congress had actually voted to sever ties with Great Britain the day before.
- Independence Day became a federal holiday in 1870.
- Other countries, including Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal and Sweden also celebrate the Fourth of July as a way to bring in American tourists.
- Our country now boasts 318.9 million citizens, but on the first Fourth of July there were only 2.5 million.
- The original draft of the Declaration of Independence was lost.
- The back of the Declaration of Independence says, “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.”
- The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration on July 6, 1776.
Want to know more about Hurley? Get their official bio, social pages & articles on B104!