The way we live life and the way we view freedom has not changed very far from our founding fathers ideas that were set into motion long ago. With a few amendments and as we grow with the times the American experiment has been the greatest ever known.  Winn Technology Group would like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July! Here are 12 facts about this day for your enjoyment.

1. 27% of Americans will purchase patriotic merchandise for the Fourth of July.

2. 62% of Americans own an American flag.

3. The oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States is the 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island; it began in 1785.

4. The “Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 and not decreed the official national anthem of the United States until 1931.

5. The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence.

6. Americans consume about 155 million hot dogs on Independence Day alone; it is the biggest hot dog holiday of the year.

7. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a "laptop," which was a writing desk that could fit on one's lap.

8. Several countries have used the Declaration of Independence as a beacon in their own struggles for freedom. These countries include France, Greece, Poland, Russia, and many countries in South America.

9. Contrary to popular belief, only two Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The majority of signers penned their signatures on August 2, 1776.

10. Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870. In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

11. The printed version of the Declaration was called the Dunlap Broadside; 200 were made but only 27 are accounted for.

12. Congress declared July 4th as an official holiday in 1870 as part of a bill to officially recognize other holidays, Christmas being one of them.

Have a happy and safe 4th!