Patriotic fun facts with Dr. Magness!

On Sunday, Houston orthodontist Dr. Marc Magness and our staff at Memorial Smiles will celebrate our country's 234th birthday. Because we know our patients LOVE fun facts, here are some fun facts about Independence Day we knew you'd enjoy! Enjoy the rest of the week everyone, and have a GREAT Fourth of July weekend!

- Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

- The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation, which meant that people didn't want to be taxed by a government that did not represent them.

- In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

- The stars on the original American flag were arranged in a circle to ensure that all colonies were equal.

- America's mascot, the bald eagle, can achieve speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when making a predatory dive. During a normal flight, bald eagles can travel up to 30 miles per hour.

- Someone who specializes in the history of flags is called a vexillologist.

- The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin patria, which means ‘homeland’ or ‘fatherland.’

- According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs during their Independence Day festivities.

- Speaking of food, there's a 1-in-6 chance the beef on your backyard grill came from our great state of Texas. The Lone Star State is America's leader in the production of cattle and calves.