Fourth of July… Fun Facts and Trivia

By Bob Lipinski

The Fourth of July is the quintessential American holiday: parades, flags, fireworks, great history, barbecues and wine, beer, and cocktails! Here are some fun facts and trivia…

✴ Independence Day commemorates the Continental Congress’s formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not until 1938 when Congress made Independence Day a paid federal holiday.

✴ The Statue of Liberty is a worldwide symbol of freedom, and the tablet she holds is inscribed with July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals.

✴ Wellesley College professor Katharine Lee Bates wrote the patriotic poem “America the Beautiful” in the summer of 1893 after visiting Colorado Springs, inspired by the breathtaking view from the summit of Pike’s Peak. It was published on July 4, 1895.

✴ The towering One World Trade Center in New York City was intentionally built to be 1,776 feet tall to commemorate the year the U.S. declared its independence.

✴ The very first anniversary of Independence Day in 1777 was the first time the Second Continental Congress officially authorized the use of fireworks for a celebration.

✴ When President Ronald Reagan and France’s President François Mitterrand toasted the rededication of the Statue of Liberty on July 4, 1984, it was celebrated with a 1979 Veuve Clicquot “La Grande Dame” French champagne.

✴ Independence Day is the largest beer-drinking holiday in the United States. About 5 percent of the country’s annual beer consumption takes place over the Fourth of July weekend, when Americans typically buy 65 to 68 million cases of beer.

✴ July is recognized as “National Grilling Month” largely because of Fourth of July cookouts, where hamburgers are the top choice for 85 percent of partygoers, followed by steak at 80 percent and hot dogs at 79 percent.

✴ Corn on the cob is a summer staple and a Fourth of July tradition. The Sweet Corn Capital of the World is Hoopeston, Illinois.

✴ The famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island originated on the Fourth of July. While a legend claims it started in 1916 as a patriotic contest among immigrants, this was a tall tale cooked up by a publicist in the 1970s. At this annual contest, Joey Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021. However, on September 4, 2024, he set the ultimate all-time record by devouring 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes!

✴ Americans eat around 150 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July alone. That’s enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. several times over.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR bkjm@hotmail.com.