4 Fun Facts to Share at Your July 4th BBQ This Year

July 4th is one of those holidays where everyone feels like an expert. Flags, fireworks, hot dogs, 1776 — we've got it down.

Except... a lot of what we think we know about Independence Day is either flat-out wrong, or missing the best part of the story.

Here are 3 facts worth dropping at your BBQ this year. Fair warning: at least one of these is going to make someone put down their burger.

1. We're Celebrating on the Wrong Day

Here's the one that gets people every time.

July 4th is not the day America declared independence. That actually happened on July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress voted to break from Great Britain. John Adams — one of the key architects of the whole thing — was so certain July 2nd would become the celebrated date that he wrote a letter to his wife predicting it would be marked with parades, fireworks, and festivities for generations to come.

He was right about everything except the date.

So why July 4th? That's the day the written Declaration of Independence was finished, approved, and dated by Congress. When printed copies went out to the colonies, they all said "July 4" at the top — and that's the date that stuck in history.

To put it simply: we're celebrating the publication date, not the vote.

Bonus wrinkle: Most people also don't know that the famous signing we picture — all the Founders gathered together, quill in hand — didn't happen on July 4th either. Only two men signed that day. The rest of the 56 delegates signed over the following weeks, with some not adding their names until August.

2. Two Founding Fathers Died on the Same Day — Exactly 50 Years Later

This one sounds like something a screenwriter made up. It isn't.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were two of the most towering figures of the American Revolution. They worked together to build the nation, became close friends, then spent years as bitter political rivals. In their final years, they reconciled through a long exchange of letters that historians still study today.

On July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence — both men died. Not within the same week. Not the same month. The same day.

Adams passed away at his home in Massachusetts at age 90. His reported last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives."

He was wrong. Jefferson had died just a few hours earlier at Monticello, at age 83.

The odds of this happening by chance are already staggering. But the fact that Adams's final thought was of Jefferson — and that he died not knowing his old friend and rival was already gone — is the kind of story that doesn't need any embellishment.

And if that weren't enough: a third president, James Monroe, also died on July 4th — five years later, in 1831.

Three presidents. Three deaths. All on Independence Day.

3. The 50-Star Flag Was Designed by a Teenager Who Got a B-Minus

The American flag we fly today didn't come from a government design committee or a team of experts. It came from a 17-year-old kid in Ohio with $2.87 worth of craft supplies and a history class assignment.

In 1958, Robert Heft's teacher asked the class to redesign the flag to reflect the upcoming addition of Alaska and Hawaii as the 49th and 50th states. Heft took the old 48-star flag, bought some blue cloth and iron-on material, and stayed up through the night arranging 50 stars into the pattern we now recognize on every flag in the country.

His teacher gave him a B-minus.

Heft must've known he was onto something. Because he sent his design directly to Washington D.C. to be considered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower — who, out of thousands of submissions, selected Heft's design as the official flag of the United States. It was adopted on July 4, 1960, and has flown ever since.

His teacher changed the grade to an A.

Heft's original flag went on to display at every U.S. president's inauguration from Nixon through today. One teacher's B grade is the future brand of a nation. If that isn't a sign to believe in yourself when others might not, we don't know what is.

4. American Manufacturing Is Having a Moment, Right Over Your Head

Here's a fact you might not expect from a company that installs solar panels.

Nearly all of the equipment Empower installs is made right here in the U.S. That includes Qcells solar panels manufactured in Georgia, Unirac mounting hardware, and Enphase and Tesla inverters and battery systems — all built domestically.

So when a homeowner goes solar or upgrades their home's energy system, there's a good chance the products doing the work were made by American workers, not shipped halfway around the world.

Pretty fitting for a holiday about independence.

Now, One More Thing Before You Head to the BBQ

If you're hosting this July 4th in Phoenix, here's something to think about: nobody wants to be at the party where it's hotter inside than it is outside.

At Empower Home Services, we're celebrating America's 250th Birthday the best way we know how — by keeping Phoenix homes cool. This July, get a brand new HVAC unit with:

• $0 Down
• Instant $250 VISA Gift Card Upon Install
• $1,776 Toward a Unit Upgrade

That's over $2,000 back instantly, all with no money down on approved financing. Get installed as soon as next day.

This is a limited-time offer — it ends July 31st.

Call us at 800-306-6953 or visit THIS PAGE to get your quote today.

Happy Independence Day from the Empower team. Now go win some arguments at the BBQ. 🇺🇸

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Empower Home Services serves the greater Phoenix metro area including Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, and surrounding communities. Instant $250 VISA gift card issued upon installation of a qualifying new HVAC unit. $1,776 applied toward upgrade from standard to next-tier unit. $0 down with approved financing. Limited-time offer ends July 31st. Get installed as soon as next day, subject to availability. Call 800-306-6953 for details.