5 Fun Facts About the Fourth of July

1. Fourth of July Barbecue:

As with many holidays, the Fourth of July celebration includes food, drink and the realization of how fortunate we are as a nation.

More than 81 million

Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year. It's probably safe to assume a large number of these events took place on the Fourth.

Although we do not have a fixed menu for the celebration of the Fourth, you can almost count on traditional favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, garden salads, potato salad, chips and watermelon. Following is a summary of where these foods come from:

• There's a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard grill came from Texas. The Lone Star State is the leader in the production of cattle and calves.
• The chicken on your barbecue grill probably came from one of the top broiler-producing states: Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi.
• The lettuce in your salad or on your hamburger probably was grown in California, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of USA lettuce production.
• Fresh tomatoes in your salad most likely came from Florida or California, which, combined, produced more than two-thirds of U.S. tomatoes. The ketchup on your hamburger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounts for 95 percent of processed tomato production.
• As to potato salad or potato chips or fries, Idaho and Washington produces about one-half of the nation's spuds.
• For dessert, six states — California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Arizona and Indiana — combined to produce about 80 percent of watermelons last year.
• And the apples in your apple pie? They most likely came from Washington or New York, the two top apple producing states.

2. U.S. Flags:

• $3.2 Million. The dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags in 2010; more than half of this amount ($2.8 million) was for U.S. flags made in China. 
• $486,026. Dollar value of exports of U.S. flags in 2010. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $256,407 worth. 
• 50. The number of U.S. flags that are flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. Other places where American flags are flown continuously include Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland; the United States Marine Corp Memorial (Iwo Jima) in Arlington, Virginia; on the Battle Green in Lexington, Mass. and over the White House in our nation's capitol. 

3. From the best-loved standards to rock anthems and country tunes, patriotic songs are numerous here in the good ole’ U.S. of A. So as you’re preparing for your July 4th festivities, don’t forget to download some songs to bring out those patriotic feelings in your guests. Chances are, you’ll have party-goers singing about “amber waves of grain,” playing air guitar to Jimi Hendrix, or drawling about “the hippies and the rebels and the Yanks,” a la Charlie Daniels. To help you make your music selections, here are some top-ten lists:
 
Ten Most famous and Beloved Patriotic Songs in U.S. History:

1. The Star Spangled Banner (karaoke version)

2. The Battle Hymn of the Republic 

3. America the Beautiful 

4. God Bless America 

5. The Stars and Stripes Forever

6. My Country Tis of Thee

7. Semper Fidelis

8. The Marine's Hymn (From the Halls of Montezuma)

9. God Bless the USA 

10. This Land is Your Land 

Ten Patriotic Rock Songs (in no particular order):

1. Song for America by Kansas

2. America by Simon and Garfunkel

3. Keep on Rocking in the Free World by Neil Young

4. America by Neil Diamond

5. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. by John Mellencamp

6. America the Beautiful by Ray Charles

7. Red, White and Blue by Lynyrd Skynyrd

8. Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen

9. Star Spangled Banner by Jimi Hendrix

10. Living in America by James Brown

Ten Patriotic Country Songs (in no particular order):

1. Only in America by Brooks & Dunn 

2. Ragged Old Flag by Johnny Cash

3. Some Gave All by Billy Ray Cyrus

4. Bumper of My S.U.V. by Chely Wright

5. America by Waylon Jennings

6. Arlington by Trace Adkins

7. In America by Charlie Daniels

8. Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly by Aaron Tippin

9. American Soldier by Toby Keith

10. God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood 

4. There are many internet radio stations that can get you through your Independence Day festitivies, as well. AOL’s online radio offers a station dedicated to patriotic songs. Also try Pandoraand Slacker. 

5. As promised, here are some more random July 4th facts, courtesy of the Census Bureau:
 
Fireworks

• $190.7 million - The value of fireworks imported from China in 2010, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($197.3 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $37.0 million in 2010, with Japan purchasing more than any other country ($6.3 million).
• $231.8 million - The value of U.S. manufacturers' shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.

Patriotic-Sounding Place Names

• Thirty-one places have "liberty" in their names. The most populous one as of April 1, 2010, is Liberty, MO. Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.
• Thirty-five places have "eagle" in their names. The most populous one is Eagle Pass, Texas.
• Eleven places have "independence" in their names. The most populous one is Independence, MO.
• Nine places have "freedom" in their names. The most populous one is New Freedom, PA.
• One place with "patriot" in the name. Patriot, IN.

Five places have "America" in their names. The most populous is American Fork, UT.