Happy July 4th: Born on the 4th

July 4th is celebrated as Independence Day with it’s “signature event” having been the  signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was approved by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. On July 4th, 1776 it was signed by John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress and Charles Thompson, Secretary. July 4th was also the first day after the Battle of Gettysburg concluded following a three day fight.

It is also the day on which the Peachtree Road Race is run. This year was the 40th running of the Peachtree and it was won by Sammy Kitwara of Kenya.  And of course, July 4th is the day of the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest. But many are interested in famous July 4th birthdays. And we’ve compiled a list for the curious.

For musical accompaniment and to put you into the proper frame of mind, we’ve linked to a midi version of John Phillip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. (But we are polite enough not to embed and stream it. Also found was long list of Sousa’s midi works.)

July 4th Birthdays

1804 – Nathaniel Hawthorne, author
1810 – Phineas T Barnum, circus guy
1826 – Stephen Foster, Composer
1847 – James Bailey, another of a pair of circus guys
1872 – Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States
1883 – Rube Goldberg , cartoonist, designer of odd things
1885 – Louis B. Mayer, co-founder of MGM
1918 – Ann Landers and Abigain Van Buren, twin sisters, advice columnists
1911 – Mitch Miller, Conductor
1920 – Leona Helmsley, Hotel owner, Billionaire, convicted of tax fraud
1927 – Neil Simon, playwright
1928 – Gina Lollobrigida, actress
1929 – Al Davis, Oakland Raiders owner
1930 – George Steinbrenner, owner of New York Yankees
1938 – Bill Withers, Singer
1943 – Geraldo Rivera
1962 – Tennis player (retired) Pam Shriver
1963 – Matt Malley, bassist for Counting Crows
1998 – Malia Obama, daughter of president

Three former U.S. presidents on the same July 4th in 1826 John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died. James Monroe died on July 4th, 1831.