* Population of the newly independent United States, July 1776: 2.5 million.

* Population of the United States, July 2009: 307 million.

* John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.

* In 2008, Belgium was the largest importer of U.S. flags, purchasing $186,400 worth of Old Glory.

* 78 million Americans say they have taken part in a barbecue in the past year.

* Fireworks are a $940-million-a-year industry in the United States.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

[The Declaration of Independence]

On July 4, 1884, the Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States in Paris.

Congress passed a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870.