The Fourth of July is one of America's most cherished holidays.
It's when we celebrate our nation's mythology with a day off, a backyard barbecue, and plenty of fireworks.
But here are some interesting facts you probably don't know.
The Declaration of Independence wasn't signed on July 4 (or in July at all).
It's now generally accepted that the Declaration wasn't signed on the Fourth of July—that's just the day the document was formally dated, finalized, and adopted by the Continental Congress, which had officially voted for independence on July 2 (the day John Adams thought we should celebrate).
Massachusetts was the first state to recognize the holiday.
Massachusetts recognized the Fourth of July as an official holiday on July 3, 1781, making it the first state to do so. It wasn't until June 28, 1870 that Congress decided to start designating federal holidays.
The oldest annual Fourth of July Celebration is held in Bristol, Rhode Island
The festivities began just two years after the Revolutionary War ended, and 2019 will be its 234th.
We'll eat an obscene amount of hot dogs.
Around 150 million, to be more specific—that's how many hot dogs will be consumed by Americans on the Fourth of July.