History of the Fourth of July - HISTORY

Discover how and when Americans celebrated Independence Day in the past. Although Benjamin Franklin thought we'd celebrate the 2nd of July; the 4th of July is closest to our hearts.

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In this Holiday Foods video clip, we take a look at the famous food of July 4th. The hot dog is known around the world as being one of the biggest, most well-liked foods in America. Learn the history of the dog, and see an eating challenge as well. You won't want to miss the eat off between Fat Dave and champion Badlands in this hilarious face off video.

In a broadcast from his home in Hyde Park, New York, on July 4, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt warns Americans who wish not to get involved in the war that "the United States will never survive as a happy and fertile oasis of liberty surrounded by a cruel desert of dictatorship."

Broadcast from a Pacific coast naval base to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on July 20, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt accepts his party’s nomination for an unprecedented fourth presidential bid and speaks about postwar preparations now that victory is close at hand.

Ancient Babylonians first celebrated the new year over 4,000 years ago.

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