A friend sent me these and I was fascinated to learn some of these tid-bits. I hope everyone has a great Independence Day. PS--wasn't it nice how The Independent stuck in the flag as its centerfold this week? Mine is proudly hanging. The Fourth of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941. These events occurred on the Fourth of July: Henry David Thoreau moved into his shack on Walden Pond (1845); the U.S. air offensive against Nazi, Germany began (1942); Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts (1964); Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act (1966). The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the Colonies would appear equal. Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who wanted the bald eagle. The number of Americans who will spend the holiday at other people’s homes is approximately 41 million. The first official Fourth of July party was held at the White House in 1801. Approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed on this day. The town of Patriot, Indiana has a population of 202 people. Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on the Fourth. Adams and Jefferson died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826. The percentage of American homes with an outdoor grill is 87 percent. The song “Yankee Doodle” was sung originally by British Officers making fun of backwoods Americans.
Would love to see a Sun City celebration in the Sun Dial or another indoor facility that could be like an old-fashioned celebration without the watermelon-seed spitting contest or the horseshoe pitching. An orator would be great -- fried chicken dinner ... Anyone else interested?
I think you should re-post this under Sun City rather than this Non Sun City Related Discussions and then I bet we'll get some good dialogue involving those that went to the bell ringing ceremony and see what may be added to it.....
