July 4th

A still frame from a Consumer Product Safety Commission video shows a mannequin's head leaning over an active fireworks display.

National

This July 4, Don't Be Like These Dummies: How Not To Set Off Fireworks

5:57pm July 03, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Every year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission urges Americans to use fireworks responsibly. It does this by blowing up a bunch of mannequins on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Thousands gather to celebrate Liberation Day in Shyira, Rwanda. Twenty-three years ago, a rebel army led by Paul Kagame, now the president, marched into Kigali to end a genocide against the Tutsi minority.

World News

In Rwanda, July 4 Isn't Independence Day — It's Liberation Day

1:39pm July 04, 2017

by Eyder Peralta

It's a national holiday commemorating the day in 1994 when the killing stopped, marking the end of a 100-day genocide that left nearly a million Rwandans dead.

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How much do you know about Independence Day?

QUIZ: 11 Random Facts About Independence Day For Your Backyard Party

10:00am July 04, 2017

by Domenico Montanaro

How many people lived in the original 13 Colonies? How much do we import in American flags? The pressing questions to get you through July Fourth.

Fireworks explode over the National Mall during the 2015 July 4 fireworks show in Washington, D.C. For its 2016 Independence Day show, PBS used stock footage from previous shows, due to bad weather in the capital.

Should PBS Have Shown Old Fireworks Footage In Its July 4th Show?

12:08pm July 05, 2016

by Bill Chappell

One commenter called it "the Milli Vanilli of fireworks"; another stated, "current mood: disbelieving moon landing."

Crowds gather to watch the Fourth of July fireworks show last year at Kailua Beach on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

On A Tight Travel Budget? You'll Appreciate This Year's July 4 Bargains

8:23pm July 01, 2016

by Marilyn Geewax

Record numbers of Americans are expected to be traveling over the long holiday weekend. Both gasoline prices and airfares are down from 2015, making holiday trips more affordable for millions.

Artist John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence. It can be seen in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Just A Few Important Words About The Declaration Of Independence

2:37pm July 06, 2015

by Mark Memmott

Along with the words and phrases that still ring out 239 years later are less noticed turns of phrase. They say a lot about the messages Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers wanted to send.

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