Hey everyone, I’m Mike Retta. Welcome to the salon! Today, we’re diving into some fun and interesting facts about the Fourth of July. Did you know that the famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong claimed he was born on this day? He told people his birthday was July 4, 1900, but after he passed away, an expert found his baptismal certificate, which showed he was actually born on August 4, 1901. Some say he might have lied to join the military or to seem older, while others think he simply didn’t know his real birthday.
Only one American president was born on the Fourth of July: Calvin Coolidge, in 1872. Interestingly, July 4th is one of the least common birthdays in the United States. According to The New York Times, it ranks as the third least common birthday, with February 29 being the rarest, and December 25 following closely.
A few presidents have died on July 4th. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passed away on July 4, 1826. It’s said that Adams’s last words were, “Thomas Jefferson still survives,” but Jefferson had already died earlier that day. James Monroe also died on the Fourth of July, in 1831. In 1836, James Madison’s doctor offered him medicine to help him live until July 4th, but Madison declined and passed away on June 28th.
Even English royalty has connections to this date. Aie Osborne married Sharon on July 4th, choosing the date so he wouldn’t forget their anniversary, knowing the holiday would help him remember.
West Point, the prestigious military academy, opened on July 4, 1802. Now, let’s talk about why we celebrate the Fourth of July. Many people think it’s the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, but that’s not true. It was actually signed between August and November of 1776. The Continental Congress voted on the Declaration on July 2nd and officially adopted it on July 4th, which is why we celebrate Independence Day.
You might wonder if there’s anything on the back of the Declaration of Independence. There is, but it’s quite simple: it reads “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th of July 1776.” And no, there’s no secret list of founding fathers who are members of the Illuminati—just kidding!
On July 4, 1776, about 200 copies of the Declaration were printed, known as the Dunlap broadsides. Today, we only know where 26 of them are, most of which are in American institutions. What happened to the rest? That’s a mystery!
Exactly one year later, people celebrated the first anniversary of the Declaration in Philadelphia with 13 cannon shots for the 13 colonies, along with bells, fireworks, and streamers. Speaking of 13, every year the Liberty Bell is tapped 13 times on the Fourth of July. It doesn’t get rung anymore because it’s quite old and cracked, but they do play bells while they tap it.
The tiny town of Bristol, Rhode Island, is credited with having the longest-running Fourth of July celebration, starting in 1785 with a small church service. Nowadays, it’s more about the parade, and there are three weeks of events leading up to the holiday. The White House didn’t start its annual Fourth of July party until 1801, when Thomas Jefferson was president.
Another cool celebration takes place in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, where they have a boat parade with 125 participating boats. You probably know about the hot dog eating contest that happens on Coney Island on the Fourth. The record for the most hot dogs eaten at the contest is 69. If that sounds like something you could do, you should give it a shot! The prize for the contest is $110,000. Non-competing Americans manage to eat a whopping 150 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July, which makes sense considering about 64% of Americans attend a barbecue on this day.
In case you want to be really patriotic and know where the meat in your hot dog comes from, it’s most likely Nebraska or Texas.
Moving on from hot dogs, in the Philippines and Rwanda, they also celebrate the Fourth of July. In the Philippines, it’s called Republic Day, celebrating when the United States recognized the country’s independence in 1946. On July 4th, Rwanda recognizes the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
Now, let’s talk about fireworks. Americans light about 200 million pounds of them every Fourth of July. If you’ve ever wondered how fireworks work, it’s all about chemistry. They contain fuel, an oxidizer, and a combination of chemicals that give them their color. When you light them, the fuel releases a lot of energy. Interestingly, blue fireworks are very hard to make because they require copper chloride, which needs to be lit at a very specific temperature to show up.
Finally, according to AAA, about 41.9 million people travel a minimum of 50 miles on the Fourth, so if that’s you, be safe this holiday and enjoy your meal. Thanks for joining us for this Mental Floss video, made with the help of many wonderful people. If you’re in the US, Philippines, or Rwanda, happy Fourth of July! And if you’re not, happy just a regular Monday. And of course, don’t forget to be awesome!
Research and create a timeline of significant events related to the Fourth of July. Include the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the deaths of presidents on this day, and other historical milestones. Use a poster board or digital tool to present your timeline creatively.
Choose one of the presidents mentioned in the article who has a connection to the Fourth of July. Research their life and presidency, then create a short biography. Present your findings to the class, highlighting their connection to this significant date.
Explore the chemistry behind fireworks by conducting a simple experiment. Research how different chemicals create various colors in fireworks. Create a poster or presentation explaining the science, and if possible, demonstrate a safe, small-scale experiment using household items.
Investigate how the Fourth of July is celebrated in the United States compared to the Philippines and Rwanda. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the traditions and historical significance of this date in each country. Share your diagram with the class.
Plan your own Fourth of July celebration. Include activities, food, and decorations that reflect the historical and cultural significance of the day. Present your celebration plan to the class, explaining the reasons behind your choices and how they connect to the history of the Fourth of July.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey everyone, I’m Mike Retta. Welcome to the salon! This is a Mental Floss video, and did you know that Louis Armstrong claimed he was born on the 4th of July? It’s not quite that simple. Armstrong told people his birthday was July 4, 1900, but after he passed away, an expert found his baptismal certificate, which indicated he was actually born on August 4, 1901. Some say he may have lied to join the military or to appear older while he was still under 18. Others believe he simply never knew when his birthday was.
Now, let’s dive into some interesting facts about the 4th of July. Only one American president was born on this day: Calvin Coolidge, born in 1872. Interestingly, July 4th is one of the rarest birthdays in the United States. According to data from The New York Times, it ranks as the third least common birthday. The least common is February 29, and if you exclude that, it’s December 25.
A handful of presidents have died on July 4th. You may have heard the famous story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson dying on the same day, July 4, 1826. It is said that Adams’s final words were, “Thomas Jefferson still survives,” but unfortunately, Jefferson had already passed earlier that day. The only other president to die on the 4th of July was James Monroe, who died in 1831.
In 1836, James Madison’s doctor wanted to help him join the “4th of July Club.” Madison was on his deathbed in late June, and his doctor offered him drugs that could extend his life to the 4th, but Madison declined and passed away on June 28th.
More interesting than American statesmen, English royalty also has ties to this date. Aie Osborne married Sharon on the 4th of July, choosing the date to ensure he wouldn’t forget their anniversary, knowing that being a holiday would help.
West Point, the prestigious military academy, opened on July 4, 1802. Now that we’re a third of the way into the video, let’s discuss why we celebrate the 4th of July. Many people think it’s the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, but that’s not true. It was actually signed between August and November of 1776. The Continental Congress voted on the Declaration on July 2nd and officially adopted it on July 4th, making that the day we celebrate Independence Day.
You might wonder if there’s anything on the back of the Declaration of Independence. There is, but it’s quite simple: it reads “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th of July 1776.” And yes, there’s a list of all the founding fathers who are members of the Illuminati—just kidding!
On July 4, 1776, as many as 200 copies of the Declaration were printed, known as the Dunlap broadsides. Interestingly, we now only know where 26 of them are, most of which are in various American institutions. What happened to the rest? I have so many questions!
Exactly one year later, people celebrated the first anniversary of the Declaration in Philadelphia with 13 cannon shots for the 13 colonies, along with bells, fireworks, and streamers. Speaking of 13, every year the Liberty Bell is tapped 13 times on the 4th of July. It doesn’t get rung anymore because it’s quite old and cracked, but they do play bells while they tap it.
The tiny town of Bristol, Rhode Island, is credited with having the longest-running Fourth of July celebration, starting in 1785 with a small church service. Nowadays, it’s more about the parade, and there are three weeks of events leading up to the holiday. The White House didn’t start its annual Fourth of July party until 1801, when Thomas Jefferson was president.
Another cool celebration takes place in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, where they have a boat parade with 125 participating boats. You probably know about the hot dog eating contest that happens on Coney Island on the 4th. For the record, the most hot dogs ever eaten at the contest is 69. If that sounds like something you could do, you should give it a shot! The prize for the contest is $110,000. Non-competing Americans manage to eat a whopping 150 million hot dogs on the 4th of July, which makes sense considering about 64% of Americans attend a barbecue on this day.
In case you want to be really patriotic and know where the meat in your hot dog comes from, it’s most likely Nebraska or Texas.
Moving on from hot dogs, in the Philippines and Rwanda, they also celebrate the 4th of July. In the Philippines, it’s called Republic Day, celebrating when the United States recognized the country’s independence in 1946. On July 4th, Rwanda recognizes the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
Now, let’s talk about fireworks. Americans light about 200 million pounds of them every 4th of July. If you’ve ever wondered how fireworks work, it’s all chemical. They contain fuel, an oxidizer, and a combination of chemicals that give them their color. When you light them, the fuel releases a lot of energy. Interestingly, blue fireworks are very hard to make because they require copper chloride, which needs to be lit at a very specific temperature to show up.
Finally, according to AAA, about 41.9 million people travel a minimum of 50 miles on the 4th, so if that’s you, be safe this holiday and enjoy your meal. Thanks for watching Mental Floss video, made with the help of many wonderful people. If you’re in the US, Philippines, or Rwanda, happy 4th of July! And if you’re not, happy just a regular Monday. And of course, don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a more polished tone while preserving the original content’s essence.
Fourth – The fourth day of a month, often associated with the Fourth of July in the United States, which is a national holiday. – On the Fourth of July, many Americans celebrate with barbecues and parades.
July – The seventh month of the year, known for being the month when the United States celebrates its Independence Day. – In July, students often enjoy their summer vacation and learn about the history of Independence Day.
Declaration – A formal statement or announcement, often used in the context of the Declaration of Independence, which announced the American colonies’ separation from Britain. – The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, marking a pivotal moment in American history.
Independence – The state of being free from control or support by another country or organization. – The American colonies fought for their independence from British rule in the late 18th century.
Fireworks – Explosive devices used for display, often during celebrations like the Fourth of July. – Fireworks light up the sky every Fourth of July to celebrate America’s independence.
President – The elected head of a republican state, such as the President of the United States. – George Washington became the first President of the United States after the country gained independence.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – Learning about the history of the American Revolution helps students understand the importance of freedom and democracy.
Celebration – A joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event. – The celebration of Independence Day includes fireworks, parades, and concerts across the country.
Chemistry – The branch of science concerned with the substances of which matter is composed, their properties, and reactions. – In chemistry class, students learn about the reactions that create the vibrant colors in fireworks.
America – A term often used to refer to the United States of America, a country in North America. – America declared its independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.
