Fun Facts Tuesday

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans! We hope that you have a shortened week with the 4th just a few days away. Hopefully some of you are planning to have a barbeque or go to see fireworks. 

As we all know on the Fourth of July we celebrate the day 56 men, from 13 colonies, signed the Declaration of Independence to free us from British rule. With the Fourth of July just days away, we thought it would be fun to give you some fun facts about the holiday! Check them out! 

• The Fourth of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941. 
• Malia Obama, George Steinbrenner, Neil Simon, Ron Kovic, and Calivin Coolidge were all born on the Fourth of July. 
• 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 musical "1776" premiered on Broadway in 1969 and ran for 1,217 performances. The production won three Tony Awards, including one for best musical.
• 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.
• President 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.
• The amount of chicken purchased the week before the holiday is 700 million pounds.
• The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies.
• In 1776 there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation (Today there are over 311 million.).
• 59 towns nationwide have the word "Liberty" in their names, with Pennsylvania having a total of 11 throughout the state.
• Betsy Ross designed and made the first United States flag. 
• The 13 stripes on the flag represent the 13 original colonies, and the 50 stars represent each state. 

Well fans, we hope that you enjoyed our fun fact Tuesday! For the 4th, the Steel will be in the Bensenville Parade! Come out to see our float, as well as, your favorite mascot, RUSTY!! We hope to see you there! 

Have a pucktastic day everyone!!