Fourth of July Facts

1776: The Declaration of Independence is signed on July 4 in Philadelphia. Celebrations are held throughout the colonies and in New York City, where crowds topple a statue of King George III of England on his horse.

1808: Residents of Richmond, Va., decide that only liquor produced in the United States should be consumed at July Fourth celebrations. The resolution is a result of the tension between the United States and Great Britain that eventually leads to the War of 1812.

1911: William Howard Taft heads to Indianapolis, where he sits in a grandstand on July Fourth and watches two locomotives smash into each other at full throttle.

1942: Fireworks in most cities are canceled because of blackouts enforced during World War II.

2006: The space shuttle Discovery lifts off at Kennedy Space Center, marking the first launch on the Fourth of July.

James Heintze is also author of the new "The Fourth of July Encyclopedia," published by McFarland & Company Inc. and available at www.mcfarlandpub.com.