15 Stats and Facts for the Fourth of July
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Here are a few stats and facts to help celebrate the Fourth of July . . .
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1. We've been celebrating it 246 years ever since the Declaration of Independence was ratified on July 4th, 1776. It became a paid federal holiday 81 years ago in 1941.
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2. In 1776, there were 2.5 million people in the U.S. We're now up over 332 million.
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3. The first Fourth of July parade was held in Bristol, Rhode Island way back in 1785.
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 4. 76% of Americans today consider themselves patriotic. Only 5% say not at all.
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5. The American flag's design hasn't changed in 62 years. That's the longest for any of the 27 versions we've had. We hit 50 stars in 1960 after Hawaii became a state. Alaska joined right before that, so we had a 49-star flag, but only for a year.
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6. 54% of us have an American flag at home, and 40% of those people say they display it every day.
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7. 26% of us will buy patriotic products for the Fourth. Most think things like flag hats and t-shirts are fine to wear. 17% think it's disrespectful to the flag though.
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8. 65% of Americans say they do their best to buy things that are made in the U.S.A.
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9. Three different presidents have DIED on the Fourth of July: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. Jefferson and Adams actually died on the SAME DAY, July 4th, 1826. Only one president was born on the Fourth: Calvin Coolidge in 1872.
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10. If you didn't see the official numbers this week, the average Fourth of July cookout will cost 17% more this year, thanks partly to inflation. The Farm Bureau put it at $69.68 for ten people, up from $59.50 last year.
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11. We'll eat 150 MILLION hot dogs on the Fourth of July this year. If you put them end-to-end, they'd stretch across the United States more than five times.
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12.  Joey Chestnut is a strong favorite to win the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest again. He downed a record 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes last year . . . one every 8.5 seconds. He's now won the last six in a row, and 14 of the last 15.
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13. July 4th is the top BEER-drinking holiday of the year, especially for drinking at home. The rest of the top five are Memorial Day, Labor Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. But #1 for drinking in BARS is St. Patrick's Day. The Fourth of July is only 8th on that list.
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14. Our favorite ways to celebrate on the Fourth are cookouts with family and friends . . . watching fireworks . . . and just spending time with loved ones.
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15. Around a third of us will go see fireworks this year. A recent poll put it at 37%.Â
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(YouGov / WalletHub / NBWA / Britannica)