July 4th

Wikipedia
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it two days later on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Adams's prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.

Historians have long disputed whether members of Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.
Coincidentally, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, another Founding Father who was elected as President, also died on July 4, 1831. He was the third President who died on the anniversary of independence. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872; so far he is the only U.S. President to have been born on Independence Day.

4 Facts You Might Not Know About Abraham Lincoln

• November 6, 2014

On November 6th, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. So today seemed like as good a day as any to see how much you know about the legendary President.

What Sport Was Abraham Lincoln Really Good At?  Has officially killed zero vampires. Before he was freeing slaves and fighting vampires (editor's note: Contrary to the plot of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Abraham Lincoln did not actually fight vampires--that we know of), Abraham Lincoln was earning his reputation as a wrestler.

The man was 6'4" at a time when people just weren't 6'4". He was a giant and it served him well in the ring. People who have combed the record books have been able to find only one official loss on Lincoln's record, and he was eventually honored by the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

One of his more famous matches was an unofficial battle with a local gang leader and wrestling champ himself named Jack Armstrong. Lincoln threw Armstrong to the ground and then reportedly challenged the rest of the gang who had assembled around him, shouting, "Any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns!" Which has got to be the coolest way to challenge a group of gang members to a fight we can think of. 

Who Saved Lincoln's Son's Life? We want to tell you a story about a famous actor living in the 1800s. His name was Edwin, he was one of, if not the most respected actors of his time. And he also saved the life of the president's son, Robert Todd Lincoln. The younger Lincoln fell into the space between platforms in a train station when the famous thespian reached in and pulled him to safety. Edwin went on with his day, not knowing whose life he had saved until later receiving a letter of commendation for saving the President's son. Not a bad story, right? Well this is the truly interesting part: Edwin's last name? Booth. That's right, the guy who saved the President's son's life was the brother of the thespian who not much later shot Abraham Lincoln in Ford Theater.

Who Never Slept in the Lincoln Bedroom? Supposedly, he also never sat in this chair. If you've ever seen the Lincoln Bedroom, you know it's a decadent room, replete with nice furniture and a giant bed that would totally make sense if you yourself were a giant man like Abraham Lincoln. Friends of the first family and campaign donors have slept in this famous bedroom, but most likely Lincoln himself never did. He used it as an office.

Who is the Only President to Have a Patent? Okay, at this point, we're probably not fooling anyone with how these questions are written. Yes, the only US President to have his own patent is Honest Abe. He invented a device to help steamboats that ran aground. Of course, as with wrestling, this accomplishment was merely a warm-up act. Abraham Lincoln went on to do some other pretty impressive stuff.