july 4th

Most of us just know to light the fuse and stand back.

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You might need to figure out some geography before hanging that flag.

Unofficially, the celebrations started just a year after the Declaration of Independence was actually ratified.

You'll likely spend July 4th grilling, drinking, and watching fireworks. Here's how people celebrated in years gone by.

By Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bristol, Rhode Island covers only about 10 square miles of the country's terrain, but it's home to one of America's most storied Independence Day celebrations.

What does Betsy Ross have to do with it? Probably not as much as you learned in history class...

Flag Day is June 14. If you’re wondering what that date has to do with the Stars and Stripes, why the flag looks the way it does, who came up with it, who paid for it, and what you can and can’t do with it—read on.

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If you don't mind the creaking and rattling, old-school wooden coasters can still offer a thrill. Here are a few oldies-but-goodies to check out this summer.

These eccentric Fourth of July parades might make you reconsider how you spend the Fourth.

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The bangs and booms of traditional fireworks can disrupt and upset animals and people alike.

Who wouldn't want to be called "Whaleboat" or "Grandma"?

President Richard Nixon with the cast of the musical 1776 after a performance in the East Room of the White House in 1970. Nixon lobbied to have the song "Cool, Considerate Men" removed from the show; he finally succeeded when a prominent campaign supporter of his produced the movie version and had the footage deleted.

The winner of three Tony Awards (including Best Musical), '1776' might be the most improbable hit in Broadway history.

Fireworks. Barbecues. Trips to the ER. Sick of doing the same old thing every Fourth of July? Abandon your routine and celebrate like our presidents do.