HBO rebroadcast the John Adams miniseries the other day and you might be able to find it on again today or via your cable company’s On Demand service. It’s well worth watching and, as I recall, the reading of the Declaration of Independence is in the first episode.  Here’s some related July 4th trivia from Holiday Corners – I still find that last one hard to believe.

• In May, 1776, after nearly a year of trying to work our their differences with England, the colonies sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Finally, in June, admitting that their efforts were hopeless, a committee was formed to compose the formal Declaration of Independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented the first draft of the declaration to Congress.
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• Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

• The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.
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• On June 24, 1826, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to Roger C. Weightman, declining an invitation to come to Washington, D.C., to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It was the last letter that Jefferson, who was gravely ill, ever wrote.

• Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826.

One of the bad things about living at such a high latitude is that the fireworks shows don’t start until about 10:30 PM. What do they do in Alaska? Start the show at 3 AM on July 5th?