TRIVIA TODAY - Monday, July 4, 2011

Greetings Infomaniacs,

Happy 4th of July! If you are celebrating this Independence Day, please be safe and have fun! I am heading over to my aunt's house for a cookout and fireworks. It's a great day to celebrate our freedom with family and friends!

Enjoy!
Melissa

Questions? Comments? Email Melissa

TODAY'S MYSTERY QUOTE
QUOTE: "It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."

HINT: (1735-1826), American statesman, diplomat and political theorist.

RANDOM TIDBITS
Independence Day is the celebration of adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by the Second Continental Congress - July 4, 1776. This statement gave the colonies freedom from Great Britain. Independence Day was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal legal holiday.

Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. It is not clear who actually designed it, but the experts at the Betsy Ross House suggest it was Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

Thirty places nationwide with "liberty" in their name. Liberty, Missouri (26,232) boasts the highest population of the 30 at 26,232. Iowa has more of these places than any other state at four: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for "Uncle Sam". This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.

VIDEO CLIP
The Star Spangled Banner - The American Soldier
While the British attacked Fort McHenry in 1814, Francis Scott Key watched from a British war ship. When the smoke cleared and Old Glory was still there, Key wrote the words to what was to become our national anthem.

Watch It Now: The Star Spangled Banner

TODAY'S MYSTERY QUOTE
QUOTE: "It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."

ANSWER: John Adams

*** Weekly Mind-Scrambler ***
I am loud or quiet.
I am sudden or expected.
I am a strong medication.
I am a relief in certain situations.
I am caused by embarrassment and/or happiness.
I am found in many good friendships.

What am I?

Submit your answer by visiting: HERE

Answer will be posted in Friday's Trivia Today. Good Luck!

If your name appears in Friday's newsletter, EMAIL MICHELE your complete name and address to be shipped your prize. Be sure to put "Winner" in the subject line.

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