Friday, July 03, 2009

Happy 4th






Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

SOME TRIVIA:
  • In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.[11]
  • In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.[12]
  • In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.[12]
  • In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.[12]
  • In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".
  • In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.
  • In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.[13]
  • In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.[14]


19 comments:

Dianne said...

beautiful flags Mary

have a happy and safe 4th

Mary Bergfeld said...

Wonderful images! Long may she wave.

dianasfaria.com said...

happy 4th to you too! great flag shots with interesting trivia.

Anonymous said...

Happy 4th to you and your family as well. Aloha my friend :)

SandyCarlson said...

Thanks for these great photos and the facts, Mary. I always need brushing up, so thanks for being my teacher.

Akelamalu said...

Happy 4th July Mary. :)

Petula said...

Happy 4th of July. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Desert Songbird said...

Have a safe and celebratory Independence Day weekend, Mary!

Travis Cody said...

Thanks for the trivia! Happy 4th!

Anonymous said...

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Queen-Size funny bone said...

Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Durward Discussion said...

Great flags and a good history lesson to go with them. Thank you teacher.

Terry said...

all of those beautiful flags mary t.
thank you for all of the america trivia!
god bless you on this very special day.
you sre our beloved teacher and our friend!
love terry

Arlene said...

HI Mary, i just came by to greet you Happy the 4th!

Great flag shots!

carol g said...

Thank you for the history and the beautiful pictures of our flag. Have a happy and safe 4th, Mary.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful flags and great trivia - I learned a lot - happy those were not included in my citizenship test or I would have failed :) Proud to be an American! Have a great Independence day!

Carver said...

Happy fourth of July Mary!

Leora said...

Happy 4th now that it's the 5th - hope yours was full of fun and goodness.

Martha said...

Great post, I didn't get a chance to stop by over the weekend!