Cutline Speaks

Fun Fourth of July Facts

posted by Meghan on July 2, 2009

Cutline is off to celebrate our nation’s independence and our team wants to wish you a safe and happy holiday! Before we go, here are some fun facts about the Fourth of July (thanks, encarta!).

- The American national anthem, the "Star-Spangled Banner," is set to the tune of an English drinking song ("To Anacreon in Heaven").

- The Statue of Liberty was designed by French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

- Fireworks were made in China as early as the 11th century. The Chinese used their pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.

- Uncle Sam was first popularized during the War of 1812, when the term appeared on supply containers. Believe it or not, the U. S. Congress didn't adopt him as a national symbol until 1961.

- The first two versions of the Liberty Bell were defective and had to be melted down and recast. The third version rang every Fourth of July from 1778 to 1835, when, according to tradition, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Chief Justice John Marshall.