Know It All: Fourth of July Trivia

Actually, it was the Declaration of Independence (D.O.I.) that was approved on July 4, 1776.

Francis Key Scott wrote the poem after the War of 1812. Only later were his words put to music, and then in 1931, the song became our national anthem

Though The Post is the longest-running newspaper in our nation's capitol, The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first to publish it on July 6, 1776.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson passed away in 1826 on the 50th anniversary of our independence. Five years later, James Monroe died on the same day.

The United States Congress didn't make our independence day a federal holiday until 1870.

Franklin considered the turkey a "bird of courage." However, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson outvoted him and chose the bald eagle.

Although the bell did crack the first time it was struck, the incident occurred two decades earlier in 1752.

Though turtle soup isn't very popular these days, the dish was a summertime specialty and must-have on any July 4 menu in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Philadelphia held the first large-scale public display in honor of our independence in 1777.

Since then, the population has grown to more than 313 million. The Census Bureau projects that 439 million Americans will celebrate July 4 in 2050.