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Independence Day is going to be on us before we know it, and it’ll be time to think about road trips out of Montgomery, AL and possibly a little bit of auto repair to get you on your way. But while you’re thinking about that, here are a few fun facts about the 4th that you may not have known. We sure didn’t!

• Many historians believe that the real Independence Day is July 2nd – it wasn’t until the 4th that Congress signed off on Thomas Jefferson’s declaration. 
• The only man who signed the document on July 4, 1776 was John Hancock; the rest of them signed in subsequent days. Hancock annoyed other signatories by leaving such a large, flamboyant signature that it left them little room for their own names. 
• An earlier draft of the Declaration of Independence read “the pursuit of property” rather than “the pursuit of happiness.” 
• John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died, a few hours apart, on July 4, 1826. James Monroe died five years later, also on July 4. 
• In more recent years, the Declaration of Independence has served as a template for documents in many other countries struggling for freedom, including France, Greece, Poland, Russia and several South American states. 
• The first White House party for July 4 took place in 1801; President Jefferson mingled with the crowds, a Marine band played, there was food and drink and it turned into a rather wild affair by the time it was over. Not as wild, however, as Andrew Jackson’s inaugural party in 1829, when thousands of citizens showed up for whiskey-laced punch and food; the affair got so out of hand that Jackson fled and the White House needed a thorough overhaul after it was over.
• In 1841, President John Tyler was so fond of turtle soup that he served it at the White House’s Independence Day party. A 300-pound sea turtle from Key West, Florida made its way into the soup tureen that year. 
• Benjamin Franklin pushed to have the wild turkey be the national bird, but was outvoted by Adams and Jefferson, who preferred the bald eagle. 
• Every July 4, the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped thirteen times to commemorate the original thirteen colonies (it’s not actually rung, in order to avoid further damage to the crack).
• “Yankee Doodle” was originally the melody of a nursery rhyme; it was sung by British officers who mocked the ragtag forces of American colonists. 

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