Fun Fourth of July Facts

Happy 4th of July! We hope you have a great day celebrating our great country with your family and friends! Please celebrate responsibly and be safe on the roads. And for some fun, we've collected some interesting Fourth of July facts. Including how many of our flags and decorations for Independence Day come from. . . CHINA!!

Check out some of the history behind this day we shower with Red, White, and Blue: (from The Hookup)

- Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national animal but was outvoted when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson chose the bald eagle.

- Over an estimated 150 million hot dogs will be consumed today. That's roughly one dog for every two people in the US

- Over $211 million has been spent on the importation of fireworks from China.

- Oddly, the majority of the nation's flags and patriotic paraphernalia in relation to the Fourth of July is produced in China. Nearly $349 million are used each year to import the flags, banners, decorations, and emblems.

- The first Fourth of July party held at the White House was in 1801.

- The words Under God were not added to the Pledge of Allegiance until the year 1954.

- More than 74 million Americans will BBQ tomorrow.

- The Fourth of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.

- The national anthem is actually set to the tune of an old English drinking song called To Anacreon in Heaven

- The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were equal.

- Malia Obama, George Steinbrenner, Neil Simon, Ron Kovic and Calvin Coolidge were all born on the Fourth of July.

- 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 number of Americans who will spend the holiday at other people's homes is approximately 41 million.

- The amount of chicken purchased the week before the holiday is 700 million pounds.

- The percentage of American homes with an outdoor grill is 87 percent.

In honor of today (and every single day we spend in this great nation), Kiss Country Salutes our Service Members!

Don't miss the HUGE Independence Day Celebration in downtown Shreveport today! Kip Moore is playing after the fireworks.