July 4th - Did you know...?

As everyone knows July 4th is Independence Day in the U.S.A. but did you know...?

1. After a month of debate on whether or not to declare independence from Britain, the Continental Congress voted in favor on July 2nd.

2. On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that the day "will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival" and that the celebration should include "Pomp and Parade...Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations."Of course, he was talking about July 2nd.

3. Three presidents died on Independence Day: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826. James Monroe died on July 4, 1831.

4. The Continental Navy raised this flag, known as the Continental Colors, during the War for Independence and it remained the flag of the rebellion until June 14, 1777 when the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which defined the United States flag as having 13 stripes and 13 stars

 5. Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest started in 1916 and has been held every year since then except two.

6. This year Joey "Jaws" Chestnut won by eating 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes. It was his 7th year winning. Sonya Thomas won the women's championship with 37 hotdogs.

7. The earliest documentation of fireworks dates back to 7th century China.

8. On November 10, 2012 Kuwait celebrated the 50th anniversary of its constitution by launching 77,282 firework projectiles in the largest firework display of all time.

9. The origin for the word 'barbecue' is uncertain but may be from the Caribbean word 'barbacoa', the method of slow-cooking meat over a wooden platform OR from the French 'barb a queue', which means 'from whiskers to tail' referring to cooking a whole animal on a spit over an open fire OR from the Romanian work for roast mutton 'barbec'.

10. Lexington, North Carolina calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World" and holds a one day festival in October (Barbecue Month). The North Carolina House had to call it the 'Official Food Festival of the Piedmont Triad Region of the State of North Carolina' because to call it the more tongue tripping name of 'Official Food Festival of North Carolina' would seem to take sides between the Lexington and Eastern style of barbecues.

Written by Susan Brandt.