Today we will depart from our normal
Lauten Audio related communications and provide a brief history of our upcoming holiday.
July 4th, The Forth of July or
Independence Day, which ever you might call it, is the birthday of the United States of America. Independence Day is the only holiday that celebrates the United States. In 1941, the U.S. Congress made this a federal paid holiday, which means all non-essential federal institutions like postal service and federal courts are closed. It is associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues and other events celebrating the history, government and traditions of the United States. In more recent times this day is considered more of a summer festival separate from its original patriotic meaning.
A little history:
On July 4, 1776, the United States declared independence from what was formally known as the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The United States
Declaration of Independence, declaring the
Thirteen Colonies in North American “Free and Independent States” was officially adopted on this day. The only person to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th was
John Hancock who was the elected President of Congress at the time. The remaining delegates didn’t begin to sign the document until August 2nd, 1776.
On November 19th, 1863, after the end of the
American Civil War, President
Abraham Lincoln explained the importance of the Declaration of Independence in his
Gettysburg Address. This is one of the most quoted speeches in the history of the United States which began with the sentence “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Some notable Independence Days
In
1777, thirteen guns were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island.
In
1778, General George Washington marked Independence Day with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute.
In
1791 was the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day".
In
1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.[1]
In
1941, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.
Some interesting events that have occurred on July 4th1054 - A supernova is observed by the Chinese, the Arabs and possibly Amerindians near the star Tauri.
1634 - The city of Trois-Rivières is founded in New France, later to become the Canadian province of Quebec.
1837 - Grand Junction Railway, world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool.
1862 - Lewis Carroll tells Alice Liddell a story that would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels.
1910 - African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match sparking race riots across the United States.
1950 - First broadcast by Radio Free Europe.
1997 - NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.
2004 - The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.
2007 - Zaca Fire Starts in Santa Barbara, California becomes second largest fire in California history.
2008 – During this Forth of July, the state of California is experiencing more than 1400 wild fires, the worst in recorded history.
Notable Births1694 -
Louis-Claude Daquin, French composer (d. 1772) - Daquin was a musical child prodigy who performed for the court of King Louis XIV at the age of six.
1826 -
Stephen Foster, American songwriter (d. 1864) - Known as the "father of American music," was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century.
1927 -
Neil Simon, American playwright - He is one of the most reliable hit makers in Broadway history.
1938 -
Bill Withers, American singer and songwriter - He performed and recorded from the late 1960s until the mid 1980s. Some of his best-known songs are "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me," "Lovely Day," "Lean on Me", "Grandma's Hands" and "Just the Two of Us".
1943 -
Konrad "Conny" Bauer, German musician - A world-renowned free jazz trombonist.
1943 -
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, American musician (d. 1970) - The leader, singer, and primary composer in the American blues band Canned Heat.
1948 -
Tommy Körberg, Swedish singer, actor, and musician. In 1969, he won Swedish Recording Industry Award Grammis in a category Best Debut Performance.
1955 -
John Waite, English singer - Best known as the lead vocalist for the bands The Babys and Bad English, and as a solo artist.
1963 -
Matt Malley, American musician - An Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe nominated songwriter, and he is most recognized for being a founding member and bass guitar player for the rock band, Counting Crows.
1964 -
Mark Slaughter, American singer - An American musician and one of the founders of heavy metal band Slaughter.
1971 -
Koko, sign-language gorilla - Born July 4, 1971, in San Francisco, California, Koko is a lowland gorilla who is able to understand more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language.
