We celebrate America’s birthday on July 4 every year, but did you know that America’s second president and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, considered July 2 America’s birthday? He even wrote about it in a letter to his wife!
Here’s what happened: On July 2, Congress voted to declare independence from England, but the Declaration of Independence was not ready until July 4. When the document was printed — on July 4 — that is the date the printer put at the top of the page!
And even though we have celebrated Independence Day every year since 1776, it was not declared a Federal holiday until 1941.
A regatta is a boat race. In England, every year there is a race at the Henley Royal Regatta where teams of rowers race in long, slim boats. ere are more than 200 events every year in this one competition. e rowing teams train hard all year and compete in qualifying races to see if they are good enough to participate in the Henley Royal Regatta.
The Henley Royal Regatta started in 1839. ere were no regattas during World War I and World War II, but other than that, this is an event that people look forward to every year. You can see what it is like here: HenleyRoyalRegatta.
Every July, England counts its swans for the queen. It’s called swan upping. It takes about ve days to get all that work done. is year it starts on July 18. Hundreds of years ago (think the 1100s), the royal family decided that all the swans in the country belonged to them. e birds tasted especially delicious and made wonderful meals at royal feasts. While swans aren’t served at parties anymore, they are still counted every year. It is important because the swan markers use this occasion to help keep the swan population healthy and to educate the public about this regal bird.
Swan markers spend five days rowing up the ames River. When the swan markers and a family of swans and babies (cygnets) they yell: “All up!” en they gently pull the swans and cygnets from the river to see if they are healthy. Sometimes they and swans that need help. O en, sh hooks get tangled in the swans’ feathers, and the swan markers are able to remove them and send the swans on their merry way.
