Fun fact: Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, did not actually happen on July 4th, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress, a group of representatives from the 13 colonies, voted to become independent from Great Britain on July 2nd, 1776. Legally speaking, July 2nd is the true Independence Day, though Americans do not celebrate that day.
The Declaration of Independence, the document explaining the decision behind the vote, was signed and approved two days later, marking the holiday that we now know as the Fourth of July.
The reason we celebrate the Fourth of July is due to the documentation via the Declaration of Independence. Most people wouldn’t have gotten the details about the vote for a few days.
But sending out a document to as many people as possible, including the leaders of Great Britain, made a huge splash — one that changed the world and sparked revolutions across the globe.
Feel free to share that knowledge with your friends and family as you watch fireworks and cheer on Joey Chestnut unhinging his jaw like a snake to swallow hot dogs, though the real MVP for hot dog-eating contests is game-changer Takeru Kobayashi.
Alternatively, you could have a quieter evening in the gym and start changing your lifting game when it comes to getting strong(er).
That’s what elitefts athlete Meana Albersworth will be doing this weekend at the S5 Compound, with the assistance of Dave Tate, who'll be coaching Meana's main lifts up for her next meet.
However you decide to spend your holiday weekend, enjoy it!