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
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What are these creatures?
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Bobbio, Italy
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What happened to these clouds?
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Saint Andrews Day
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Row, row, row your gondola
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Ahh-tumn
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Take the Stairs Day
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Eye of the cave
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International Day of the Tropics
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Happy New Years Eve!
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A Portuguese fort takes a star turn
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Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
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Martinique
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Quilts as high art
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Land of the midnight sun
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International Jazz Day
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Easter
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A peek behind the royal curtain
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Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
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A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
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International Day of Human Space Flight
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The power of the forest
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A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
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National Trails Day
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Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
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To the 155th on the 155th
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The Sonoran Desert, Arizona
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Young black caiman, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
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National Park Service Founders Day
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Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
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