By the Numbers: The Fourth of July

Photo by Len Villano.

27

The number of different official U.S. flags used throughout the nation’s history.

61

The percentage of Americans who prefer beef hot dogs to those made with other meats.

62

The percentage of Americans who own a U.S. flag. That same percentage will attend a Fourth of July picnic.

95

The percentage of fireworks in the U.S. that are imported from China.

1781

The year Massachusetts became the first state to celebrate the Fourth of July as a state holiday.

1870

The year Congress made the Fourth of July a federal holiday.

1941

The year Congress made Independence Day a paid federal holiday.

1960

The year the current American flag design – with 50 stars – was chosen.

$5 million

The minimum insurance coverage recommended for fireworks displays.

150 million

The estimated number of hot dogs that will be consumed during the Fourth of July weekend.

$5.4 million

The annual value of imported American flags. Most come from China.

$19.9 billion

The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with the United Kingdom in 2018. Goods exported amounted to $141.1 billion; goods imported totaled $121.2 billion. That makes our Revolutionary War enemy our seventh-largest goods trading partner today.

Sources: wallethub.com, everydollar.com, agriculture.com, history.com, ustr.gov