Americans are known for being patriotic every day of the year, but Independence Day, the Fourth of July, is when patriotism peaks in the United States. So don your red, white, and blue attire, sit down to a delicious dinner of bald eagle (just kidding!), and enjoy this list of patriotic facts:
239
Years since July 4, 1776. Happy 239th Birthday, America!
84
Age of the National Anthem. Although The Star-Spangled Banner was written much earlier, the song was not officially designated as the National Anthem until 1931. Before that there was no official anthem.
6,500
Number of fireworks shells shot off over the National Mall on July 4 for the National Park Service's annual celebration.
43
Number of states that allow some or all types of consumer fireworks. Four states allow only novelty items, such as sparklers. Three states ban all consumer fireworks.
225.3 million
Amount, in pounds, of fireworks used in 2014. That much weight is equivalent to 16,000 adult elephants. About 90 percent of fireworks are used by consumers, not formal spectator displays.
42 percent
Decrease in air quality on July 4 because of fireworks, as measured by the level of fine particulate matter in the air. (Thanks for the buzzkill, NOAA.)
56
Number of people who signed the Declaration of Independence, although not all of them signed it on July 4th, 1776.
27
The number of different official flags the United States has used. The last change was made on July 4, 1960. The current version is the longest-running one.
70,000
The number of bald eagles found in North America. Only 10,000 are in the lower 48 states.
150 million
Number of hot dogs eaten on the Fourth of July. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, if you laid them from end to end, they would run from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times.
71 percent
Portion of Americans who prefer mustard on their hot dog. A slight majority say they like ketchup on their hot dogs, despite Dirty Harry's declaration that "Nobody, I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog."
$223
Average price per night for a hotel room in Chicago this weekend. According to Priceline.com, Chicago is the number one destination for the July 4 weekend based off the number of current hotel reservations. Washington, D.C. comes in third, after Las Vegas.
3
Number of countries that celebrate July 4 as their national liberation holiday: Rwanda, the Philippines, and the United States.
23
Number of words in the original Pledge of Allegiance, written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands — one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
3:09
Runtime of Lee Greenwood's famous song, "God Bless the USA."
217,000
Number of total U.S. service members in the Revolutionary War. In contrast, World War II had 74 times more total U.S. servicemembers.
377
Number of steps from the Statue of Liberty's lobby to its crown. The statue's original torch was replaced in 1986.
554 feet, 7 and 11/32 inches
Height of the Washington Monument. The ultra-precise measurement was taken after the 2011 earthquake that shut down the monument for years, but the earthquake was found to have had no effect on the Monument's height.
0
Number of nations in the universe better than the good ol' U.S.A.