On July 4, 1776, America's Founding Fathers declared 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."
To get in the spirit of Independence Day, here are some fun truths about July 4:
- The Declaration of Independence announced the separation of the 13 American colonies from the British Empire.
- Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the historical document.
- In July 1776, an estimated 2.5 million people were living in the newly independent United States.
- There are 56 signatures on the Declaration of Independence.
- Ten key Founding Fathers who adopted the Declaration of Independence are John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, Thomas Paine and George Washington.
- Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died within five hours of each other on July 4, 1826. They were the last surviving members of the Founding Fathers.
- The name "Liberty" was ranked 568 and "America" was ranked 811 on the list of most popular baby names for girls in the United States in 2010.
- In July 2011 more than seven billion hot dogs were consumed, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. Of those, 150 million hot dogs were eaten over the July 4 weekend alone.
Have any of your own fun facts or figures about the Fourth of July? Share them with us in the comments section below.
