Happy 243rd birthday to the USA!
Today, we celebrate the moment that the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress to separate governance of the first 13 colonies from England.
Here are a few things you may not know about the tradition of celebrating our country's independence, according to CNN:
- the first Independence Day celebration happened a few days after the Declaration was approved on July 8th, 1776
- Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration... because everybody pretty much agreed he was the best writer of them all
- Independence Day has been celebrated since the Declaration was signed, but it didn't become an official US holiday until 1870.
- Americans are expected to spend about $6.7 billion on food for cookouts today... the biggest day for grilling and cooking out all year long
- in 2017, we imported $280 million in fireworks
And to pay tribute to the reason for the day, here's one of the most recognized sentences from the Declaration of Independence, that we continue to strive for and achieve for all in our nation:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Happy 4th of July!