The "Born On The Fourth Of July!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  But, for my daughter, Brynn, it's an extraordinary day for you see today is her birthday.  Yep...she was born on the Fourth of July.  A real firecracker so she was.  And, her birthday is so easy to remember, since the entire family almost always gets together on her birthday to celebrate her birthday as well as one of our Nation's major Holidays.  Some of you may not know a few of the following items about July 4;  

one major item is that the Declaration of Indepen- dence wasn't signed on July 4.  And, it wasn't even signed in Phila- delphia as so many people believe.  The Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from the British on July 2, which is the day that John Adams wanted to celebrate as the actual holiday.  The actual document was finalized and dated on the date we celebrate as Independence Day, but there is more to the story than that.  Most delegates didn't add their names until August 2 and the full list of names of those who signed the document wasn't complete until January of the following year.  And, the first celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence wasn't until July 8 in...yes, Philadelphia.  There was a big parade and guns were fired, but the Liberty Bell was silent.  It wasn't until 1781 that Massachusetts became the first state to actually celebrate July 4 as a Holiday for the first time.  And, they did it by serving poached Salmon with Egg Sauce along with the first new potatoes and early peas.  A trivia question for you on this day would be...Who are the three Presidents of the United States that died on the Fourth of July?  It was exactly 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died, just hours apart on July 4, 1926.  Then five years later, James Monroe died on Independence Day.  So, that would make it three of the first five presidents died on July 4.  Might be a bit scary to other Presidents when July 4 came around each year.  But, none have died since on the 4th, even though Zachary Taylor came close, dying on July 9 after ingesting an abundance of iced milk and fruit at an Independence Day party in 1850.  Calvin Coolidge has the honor of being the only President born on the Fourth of July.  But, I keep telling my daughter that she should run for President so she can claim to be the first female President born on July 4.  Will she listen to me?  Nah!  She's happy being the only one in the family born on that day.  Happy Birthday, Brynn Ann Woods!  Love, Mom and Dad!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Brynn Ann Woods was born on July 4, 1974.  On July 4, 1978 this photograph
appeared in the local newspaper with a headline that read...
4 on the 4th.  Helps to know most of the local newspaper photographers!