Break out the BBQ and unfurl your flags, Independence Day is here! Founding Father John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, that he believed the holiday would be celebrated with parades, sports, shows, and illuminations. After 247 years, Americans are keeping those traditions alive, though not on the date that Adams anticipated. The Second Continental Congress voted to approve the independence of the United States of America on July 2, 1776, but formally adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4. That date, enshrined on the Declaration document, became the one we observe today. If you"re looking for a grand way to celebrate, journey to New York City for views of their annual fireworks show and the Empire State Building lit up to match in red, white, and blue.
Happy Independence Day!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting
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Nazar amulets, Goreme National Park, Cappadocia, Turkey
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International Nurses Day
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The last thing seen by Wile E. Coyote
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Surf s always up in Paia
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Fall color sweeps across the West
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria
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World Theatre Day
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
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Daylight saving time
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It s aboat time for the Barcolana
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Here s looking at you
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A polar bear near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
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Crested caracaras
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Nakupenda Beach Nature Reserve, Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Can you see the family resemblance?
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Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
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In the footsteps of Leopold Bloom
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The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival
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A red knot on the Shetland Islands, Scotland
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April Fools Day
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All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
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Grab onto the handlebars, kid
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Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan
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Art Basel Miami Beach
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Digging the birds
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Kochelsee in Bavaria
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A willowy welcome to spring