July 4th, 2014 - Happy 238th Birthday America

Today is the BirthDay of the United States of America -

Some Facts:
* - The US is 238 years old.
* - We have had 44 Presidents to date - Currently President Barack Obama.
* - The first US capital was New York City. Washington DC is the current capital.
* - The population is approximately 318 million people.
* - July 4, 1776 - Date the US declared independence from Great Britain.
* - September 3, 1783 - Paris treaty was signed, ending the war between the US and Great Britain.
* - Constitution was adopted / ratified on June 21, 1788.


US National Anthem:
* - The national anthem was officially adopted by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931.
* - The lyrics come from "Defense of Fort M'Henry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in the Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.
* - F.S.Key gave the poem to his brother-in-law Judge Joseph H. Nicholson who saw that the words fit the popular melody "The Anacreontic Song", by English composer John Stafford Smith.
* - There are 4 verses to the National Anthem - The 4th verse was used in the movie The Sum of All Fears during the super bowl scene and was sung by Arnold McCuller -



United States Flag
* - Robert G. Heft is the person who designed the Flag we use presently.
* - The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies that broke from the crown.
* - The stars, 50 of them, represent each US state.

Geography:
* - The land area of the contiguous United States is 2,959,064 square miles (7,663,941 km2) (excluding Alaska / Hawaii)
* - Alaska has a longer coastline than all the other 49 US states put together.
* - The New York City metro area is home to 19,949,502 people.

Government:
* - The United States is the world's oldest surviving federation.
* - It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy.
* - President Gerald Ford is the only person to become President(39th) who was not elected. When Spiro Agnew, VP to Richard Nixon, resigned Ford was confirmed as Nixon's Vice President. When Nixon resigned his office, Ford became President.
* - Vice President Nelson Rockefeller is the only person to become Vice President who was not elected. When Ford became President Rockefeller was confirmed as Vice President.
* - The 2 facts above created a 2 year stretch where the President / Vice President were not elected.
* - In 238 years the US has lost 4 Presidents' by assassination - Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, James Garfield and William McKinley.
* - Due to a loophole in the US constitution, the Vice President would preside over his own impeachment trial.

States:
* - Texas is the only US state to have had the flags of six other countries fly over it. (France, Spain, Mexico, Confederate States, Republic of Texas, and the US).
* - Louisiana is the only state in the Union that did not use English Common Law. As a territory of France Napoleonic Law was used instead. This is why they do not have counties but do have parishes(political and not religious).
* - Hawaii (from east to west) is the widest state in the US.
* - The highest point in the state of Florida is only 345 feet (115 yards) above sea level.
* - The state of Alaska is 429 times larger than the state of Rhode Island is.
* - Rhode Island has a significantly larger population than Alaska does.
* - The State of Texas is the only state that was its own Independent Republic before it came into the union.
* - The northern most point of Minnesota can only be directly accessed by water and airplane. In order to reach it by land a person must drive through Canada to reach it.

US Constitution:
* - The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world.
* - The Constitution was “penned” by Jacob Shallus, A Pennsylvania General Assembly clerk, for $30 ($726 today).
* - When the Constitution was signed, the United States’ population was 4 million.
* - On March 24, 1788, a popular election was held in Rhode Island to determine the ratification status of the new Constitution. The vote was 237 in favor and 2,945 opposed!


Its always interesting to look into the history of nations to find those little known facts so I thought I would post some of them - Enjoy

Happy Birthday America

Does anyone have any other facts / fun facts about the US? If yes please post them.

A request -
I am looking to use this thread as something fun to talk about so if we can keep the negatives out it would be greatly appreciated.

Fact: U. S does not extend beyond district of Columbia... a reply to: Xcathdra

a reply to: Xcathdra

The lowest elevation in the United States is Death Valley, California, at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.
Mt. Whitney, California, at 14,494 feet (4,421 meters), is the highest point in the continental United States.

Less than a hundred miles (as the crow flies) separate these points.

Today was a good day!! And, to top it all off, Yongsan put on the very best fireworks display I can remember.

Happy Birthday America.

Now, We're packing to head out to OBX tomorrow to start a week of sun and fun.

* That's if Arthur hasn't blown everything away already

Celebrate Her Folks



She deserves it!!!!!



Semper

Happy Independence Day America!! I still believe in the stars and stripes and the good people that believe we can still bring our nation back to it's glory! Thank you to all those individuals around the world that do not judge the true Americans because of our embarrassing government representatives. They do not represent what our country truly stands for!!

a reply to: FreedomKnight

Thank you to all those individuals around the world that do not judge the true Americans because of our embarrassing government representatives.

I judge Americans by their actions on this site .... your all as mad as a box of frogs

Happy Birthday America , now grow up and act your age !

This is a cool thread. Another item to add is that Kentucky is listed as a commonwealth instead of a state. Have a happy and safe 4th everyone.

originally posted by: Snarl
a reply to: Xcathdra

The lowest elevation in the United States is Death Valley, California, at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.
Mt. Whitney, California, at 14,494 feet (4,421 meters), is the highest point in the continental United States.

Less than a hundred miles (as the crow flies) separate these points.

Today was a good day!! And, to top it all off, Yongsan put on the very best fireworks display I can remember.

Awesome... I forgot about Death Valley being below sea level.


a reply to: gortex
I know you are but what am I... I am rubber and you are glue so whatever you say to me bounces of me and sticks to you.

sorry.. I couldn't pass that one up. D:

originally posted by: maybee
This is a cool thread. Another item to add is that Kentucky is listed as a commonwealth instead of a state. Have a happy and safe 4th everyone.

Nice -

The United States actually have 4 "commonwealths" -
1 - Commonwealth of Kentucky
2 - Commonwealth of Massachusetts
3 -Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 -Commonwealth of Virginia

This designation, which has no legal impact, emphasizes that they have a "government based on the common consent of the people as opposed to one legitimized through their earlier royal colony status that was derived from the monarch of Great Britain. The word commonwealth in this context refers to the common "wealth", or welfare, of the public and is derived from a loose translation of the Latin term res publica (cf. the 17th-century Commonwealth of England).

I was just thinking that Virginia was a commonwealth too but didn't know about the other two. Also I've heard there are parts of rural bayou areas in Louisiana that mostly French is spoken.

originally posted by: Xcathdra
Does anyone have any other facts / fun facts about the US? If yes please post them.

About 35 million Americans share DNA with at least one of the 102 pilgrims who arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620.

The United States has the most lawyers per capita in the entire world.

More people have been diagnosed with mental disorders in America than anywhere else on earth.

The United States has the most laws on the entire planet.

Venus Fly Traps can only be found natively in the Carolinas and nowhere else in the world.

Yaaaay!


Happy 4th July



I'm an Honorary American (so I was told)

originally posted by: semperfortis
Celebrate Her Folks

She deserves it!!!!!

Semper

Happy Birthday America.

From across the pond, enjoy your 4th July day as I did with the US army in Drake's Kaserne, Frankfurt Am Main, many Moons ago.

The United States has the world's only fully functioning + regulated marijuana industry.

Haha I like this thread let's keep it going!

I always am shocked when I hear how old America really is. She's so young! When you think Revolution you think 1700's and it sometimes fools me into thinking the US is closer to 300 years old but nope lol not even close.

To our cousins to the south of the 49th to the west of Yukon and in the middle of the Pacific, have a safe and happy holiday!

Happy 4th from within the state with the deepest lake in the US, bordered by the deepest gorge in North America and that has the worlds smallest river -121 ft.

a reply to: Xcathdra

The State of Ohio is the only state that has a pendent as a state flag. Every one else's is rectangular.

I contend that there was something in the water even way back then.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Have a great party and keep up your side, it is still the best.
Happy birthday from us brit's.

Your grandkids are spoiled brats and your children are stealing from you.
Happy Birthday.
PS..You're getting Dementia and Cancer.