by Carol H. Morgan

Created on: June 30, 2008   Last Updated: August 26, 2008

The United States as a nation has been collecting Fourth of July trivia for over two hundred years, because after all, it's our national birthday of sorts. And there is a fantastic array of Fourth of July trivia as a result, with many coincidences in the lives of famous people and events from the somber to the silly, tying us together by our common familiarity with what is probably the most famous date in our nation's history.

THE FIRST JULY 4TH

The most important facts are the details of the first Fourth of July in 1776, which is celebrated because it was a ratification of the declaration through the second continental congress (the declaration was PASSED on July 2). Though the date is now celebrated with fireworks, which often connote famous warfare or battles in other such national celebrations, the events of July 4 were quite bland for something that is often celebrated today by people wearing cans of beer in their hats.

The Declaration of Independence is short for what was called the "Unanimous Declaration" of the colonies as free and independent states. The statement agreed upon was that "all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved."

One interesting fact that most people don't know about these days: Few people actually know why the United States are called UNITED, they assume it is more esoteric: it is because they were so "united" in declaring their independence on this date.

John Hancock was the only person to sign on July 4, and the rest signed on August 2, which probably explains the size disparity. He used different ink which is also thikest at first, and the scale wasn't available to tell him that the sise of his writing was too large. The first actual celebration of the declaration was held on July 8, 1776, when the Declaration was read aloud.

THE CELEBRATION OF JULY 4TH OVER THE YEARS

In 1777, the one-year anniversary was marked by its first celebration that was in many ways much like today's, except with a much more real sense that it was a celebration of the country having recently become free. There were even fireworks and parades way back then; every one knew it was a pretty big deal! There was a thirteen gun salute to represent (you guessed it) the ratification by the the thirteen colonies. In 1778 General Washington was leading his troops through the thick of battle. They all celebrated with a likely much-needed double ration of rum. Things were obviously different back then: In 1779,

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