Throwback Thursday: Happy birthday, America! #TBT

[#1]

It's Thursday!

Happy 4th of July to those living in the United States of America! And sorry to the United Kingdom, I guess... I hope y'all have a great day off and enjoy it with family and/or friends.

My family and I have often gone up the canyon, to flee the scolding hot July heat, to barbequed hamburgers, hang out in hammocks, and enjoy each others company.

Sooooo, let's hear some 4th of July stories from the past.

Let’s make it a great Thursday!

KGM

[Stephen_Lugton]

That reminds me, it's my sister's birthday!

When she was born the US embassy sent her a birthday card.

[John Funk]

As a kid, I remember fireworks - especially bottle rockets - we would have wars with those.  :-)

And always watermelon. Usually my father grilled out hamburgers. But regardless, there was always watermelon!

[Amanda Barber]

For the last 8ish years, I've always kicked off my 4th of July with a local 4 mile race. It's always hot and the neighborhood always puts out sprinklers. Definitely a highlight of the holiday for me!

[Liz Tanner]

My family held family reunions at my grandparent's lakehouse when I was little. Bratwurst, burgers, enough to feed 80, and there were about 20 of us. Two memories stand out:

1) The lakehouse was in rural eastern Oklahoma on a lake called Lake Eufaula. My mom is a clean freak, so kids dropping sparklers everywhere was making her twitch. Relevant note on my mother: She has a spinal fusion due to a defect called degenerative disc disease; thus, her lumbar are fused and running isn't something she does easily.

Long story, short: She breaks records if you put a 6-inch diameter tarantula next to the spent sparkler she is picking up.

2) We put on our own fireworks show with excellent care to safety what with our entire extended family roughly 15-20 ft away and maybe a few Coors-y beverages deep. Did I mention we used cigarette lighters on the 60-100 mortar finales? Well, one year, the 80 rocket mortar finale got lit and... nada. Nothing. Flashlights were obtained, the three family engineers had serious furrowed brow discussions with their faces looking directly over the mort-BOOM. Just a slow fuse apparently. 

In the words of one of the engineer uncles: "No beer got spilt, we're okay."

[Ciara TN]

I visited New Jersey and New York when I was around 11 I think. 

I watched the fireworks from Point Pleasant and was in complete awe. 

Really enjoyed that vacation. 

[Vronik]

I live in Spain and here we receive your news about the big day that it means to you, on my to-do list is to experience it sometime in first person, because I think the day is impressive and it is an experience that I think is worth enjoying

Even if it's late, happy day to all   ;o)

[Barbara Szczesniak]

We always went to the fireworks celebration being put on by the town we lived in at the time (or town of the family we were visiting). We practiced oohing and aahing while we waited for them to start.

I remember, when I lived in England, people from the US would ask me if they had fireworks on July 4th. I would point out that the losers of the "American War of Independence" don't generally celebrate the occasion. Except that they had fireworks in Bournemouth every Friday in the summer, so, if the 4th happened to be on a Friday, there were fireworks.

[Stephen_Lugton]

@Barbara Szczesniak next time someone asks you if we do fireworks in the UK, you can tell them that we do have fireworks on 'Treason Day', but we do it on November 5th:

Remember, remember, the 5th of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

[Dave Mathijs]

Being a Tom Cruise fan, this is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear about the 4th of July:

[Laurie Sciutti]

[Dan Breyen]

My family would go up to a family friend's cabin and we would watch the boat parade on Independence Day, followed by some sort of Red, White, and Blue dessert item to celebrate the gentleman's birthday who was born on July 4th, 1900.  So in 1976, not only did we celebrate the Bicentennial, but also his 76th birthday.

[Andy Gladstone]

I consider myself lucky to have grown up 1.5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Even now I only live 0.5 miles from it. July 4 was always a beach day. Would get there early as a family to set up camp and spend hours there. Fries and ice creams from the concessions, swimming, playing frisbee, etc. We'd pack out around 3:30PM, head home for showers and then finish the day with a BBQ and eating on the back porch. Afterwards, we'd all go our separate ways. Mom and Dad would watch the Macy's fireworks show in NYC and DC on the TV. My brothers and I would go over to the local school yard where there were always an assortment of fireworks, Roman Candles, Blockbusters and M80's being set off by the neighborhood kids.  We'd always go back in the morning to find the duds.

Memories...

[Fabio Racobaldo _Herzum_]

Happy B-Day US!!!!

I was in Chicago 11 years ago and I saw incredible celebrations for that day

[Ncumisa Booi]

My 4th of July means hiking with my kids, I usually hike with my friends and partner but July ia for me and my kids

[Daria Kulikova]

I celebrated the 4th of July just once - when I lived in the USA... And as I remember it was an amazing day! At that time I lived in NYC and for the entire day we were walking. The most remarkable it was the Coney Island Eating Contest and watching fireworks from Brooklyn Bridge. 

[vikram]

4th of JULY is my wife birthday,always a special day and party day.

[Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM]

This year we stayed home, worked on some house projects and watched the fireworks on TV.

When the kids were little we'd go out to the firework shows, try to find a good viewpoint away from traffic, and have some ice cream.

[Rakesh Choudhary]

Happy Birthday America....!!!