July 4th isn’t just about bright fireworks and backyard cookouts. It’s one of the biggest days in American history — the day we celebrate our independence from the British!

We all learned a lot about the holiday in school, but I dug up some little-known historical facts about America’s Big Day to help you impress everyone at the BBQ:

• Written upside down on the back of the Declaration of Independence are the words: “Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.” No one knows who wrote it, but it was probably a label for the rolled up parchment.
• “July 4, 1776” is inscribed on the tablet held by the Statue of Liberty.
• The U.S. isn’t the only country that celebrates Independence Day. Denmark and Norway celebrate because thousands of their citizens emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s. And Portugal and Sweden put on celebrations for American military personnel and tourists.
• John Adams thought we should celebrate on July 2nd, but he was overruled. He protested by turning down invitations to appear at July 4th events.

Though John Adams wasn’t happy with the date, it was his idea to celebrate with “pomp and parade, with shews [shows], games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

John Adams might not have gotten his way about July 2nd, but he did get to choose the way we would celebrate Independence Day — to this day and and “forward forever more.”

Your “Fun Fourth” Gift Guru,
Linda