Independence Day is here and many of us enjoy going to the lake to enjoy with friends and family or perhaps a cookout at home. But what about some interesting facts regarding the day we are celebrating?
For starters, it is worth noting that only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. The rest of the signers would add their names at a later date. The first celebration of Independence Day actually took place on July 8th, 1776 in Philadelphia as this was the first day The Declaration was publicly read. People were summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell. Also worth noting, every 4th of July, the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped, not rung though, in honor of the original thirteen colonies.
South Carolina had the youngest of the signers with Thomas Lynch, Jr at age 27. The lead author of The Declaration was Thomas Jefferson and he was age 33. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest of the delegates to sign at 70 years old.
The original American flag design had the stars in a circle so that all the Colonies would appear equal. But what about our current design? The credit belongs to Robert G Heft, a seventeen-year-old high school student back in 1958. Although his teacher gave Heft a mere B- for his sewing project, President Dwight D. Eisenhower selected this design out of the 1,500 entries! Yes, Heft’s teacher raised the grade considering it was the winner of the contest.
These are just a few interesting facts about the founding of this nation and we hope you all have a safe and happy day celebrating our freedom!
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