10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Fourth of July

(via Mental Floss) With 243 years of tradition behind it, the Fourth of July is one of America’s most cherished holidays. It’s when we celebrate our nation’s mythology with a day off, a backyard barbecue, and plenty of fireworks. But with all that history, you’d be forgiven if you didn’t know quite everything about July 4. So from the true story behind the signing of the Declaration of Independence, to some staggering hot dog statistics, here are 10 things you might not know about the Fourth of July.