4th of July Obscure Facts

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The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence didn't all sign it at the same time, and most of them didn't even sign it on July 4th, 1776. The actual 'official' signing was on August 2nd, 1776, when most of the 56 signers put their signature on the document. (Thomas McKean was the last one to sign is, and he didn't do so until January of 1777.)

Benjamin Franklin wanted to name the turkey as the national animal. Fortunately, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were able to give the honor to the bald eagle.

Just for reference, when the United States officially became a country in 1776, there were about 2.5 million people living here. Today that number is around 300 million.

Independence Day hasn't always been a paid Federal holiday, or even an unpaid holiday for that matter. It wasn't until 1870 that Congress declared the 4th of July was a day off for Federal workers, but it was unpaid time off. It wasn't until 1941 that it became a paid day off.

The national anthem isn't exactly an original tune. It's actually sung to the tune of an old English drinking song called 'To Anacreon in Heaven'. (Of course, the anthem's lyrics weren't written until 1814, so it's not only quirky, it's got practically nothing to do with the 4th of July or the revolution.)

Speaking of songs, "Yankee Doodle" is (sort of) an American original, and it was sung around the time of the American Revolution.... by British military officers. The song was actually poking fun of the backwards, buckskin-wearing 'Yankees' they had fought with during the French and Indian War several years earlier.

Last year, the Unites States imported $190 million worth of fireworks from China... the bulk of the demand. Though there's no word on how much of that was specifically spent for 4th of July festivities, it's safe to assume the number is 'a lot'. (New York City uses about 20 tons worth of fireworks to celebrate Independence Day each year.)

Most of the US flags and 4th of July-related items are, ironically, made in China. About $350 million dollars are spent very year to import these flags and decorations.

Malia Obama, President Obama's daughter, was born on the 4th of July.

Great Seal Secrets Revealed!

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQ-yr_Rooq8JyWd9Q8oDFYQhvyFQD8UP9IHG0

Great Seal Secrets Revealed!
By MATTHEW LEE
2-13-8

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conspiracy theorists take note: The myths surrounding one of America's oldest and most enduring national symbols are about to be debunked ... if you believe the government, that is.

The keepers of the Great Seal of the United States, the familiar emblem on the back of the $1 bill, want you to know what it is not. It is not a sign that Freemasons run the country, it has nothing to do with the occult, and it does not contain clues to a fabulous hidden treasure.

It is rather the nation's stamp of authority, sovereignty and power, gracing our cash and embossing the most important of documents from its home at the State Department, which has held it since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the first secretary of state.

Not that the Seal's symbols — the all-seeing eye, the unfinished pyramid, the Latin phrases, the bald eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows and the number 13 — aren't powerful.

They are, historians say. Yet their meanings have been misidentified, misunderstood and misrepresented almost since the Continental Congress first commissioned the Seal in 1776.

It would be another six years before the original design was approved and another 128 before it evolved into its current form. Along the way, a movement to decipher the Seal's meaning with ancient Egyptian, mystical and otherwise otherworldly explanations has gained currency.

The Internet age has seen an explosion in such conspiracy theories, many which have now been ingrained in public consciousness through the popular "National Treasure" movie franchise that serves up a combination of Masonic lore and historical myths in blockbuster Hollywood fashion.

Among them:

_That the Seal proves the domination of the United States by a powerful, quasi-religious cult. The Ancient Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a perennial favorite of conspiracy theorists as some Founding Fathers were Masons and the Seal uses several Masonic symbols.

_That the Seal draws on Satanism or polytheistic ritual to promote a universal new world order under which Earth would be ruled by a single omnipotent government.

_That repeated references to 13 — the number of steps in the unfinished pyramid, stars in the constellation over the eagle's head, arrows in the eagle's claw, stripes on the eagle's shield, letters in the phrase "Annuit Coeptis" — demonstrate the power of 13 American families.

_That there are two seals: one in which the eagle's head faces the arrows for times of war and another in which the eagle's head faces the olive branch for times of peace.

All rubbish, according to historians, who say the Seal's symbolism is far less ominous or revelatory than many believe.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Seal's 66th and current custodian, on Tuesday inaugurated a new exhibition to commemorate its 225th birthday and trace the history and evolution of the symbolism.

"This exhibit honoring the Great Seal affirms our continued belief in the values of our founding," she said. "The Great Seal symbolizes the unity, strength and independence of a new nation, the United States of America."

The Seal will remain at the State Department but the interactive exhibit is designed to travel and curators hope it will dispel the rumors and educate Americans about the real meaning of the symbols.

Among the highlights:

_That known Masons like the first U.S. president, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin had no role in designing the final seal, which uses elements of traditional heraldry, such as the unfinished pyramid to symbolize a work in progress, arrows for war and an olive branch for peace. Masons share some of those symbols, but they have never been exclusively the domain of the order.

_That the phrase "Novus Ordo Seclorum" below the Roman numerals for 1776 at the base of the pyramid translates as "A New Order of the Ages" that began with independence and does not imply the United States will be the lynchpin of a sinister "New World Order."

_That the words "Annuit Coeptis" ("Providence favors") and the eye of providence that hovers over the pyramid refer to unexpected interventions of fate that assisted the colonists in creating a new country.

_That the references to 13 refer to the number of colonies that formed the original United States.

"People are just not aware of the complexity and intent of the symbolism and what our Founding Fathers were trying to do with it," said Priscilla Linn, senior curator at the U.S. Diplomacy Center. "The hidden treasure in the Seal is the courage and presence of mind of the people who created it and created these values for the whole country."