Klingenstein Fields Advisors (KF Advisors) would like to wish all our clients and friends a very happy Independence Day. We hope your day is filled with sunshine, barbecues and time spent with friends and family, as we celebrate the 241st birthday of our great country.
By the numbers
Staying true to our roots of deep fundamental research and careful attention to the numbers, we offer some fun Independence Day facts*:
- The population of the U.S. in 1776 was approximately 2.5 million; today it’s over 320 million
- In 1781, Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday; it didn’t become an official federal holiday until 1870 and a paid holiday for federal employees until 1938
- Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a “laptop,” which was a writing desk that could fit on one’s lap
- The oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence was Benjamin Franklin at 70; Edward Rutledge at the tender age of 26 was the youngest
- The Declaration was actually signed on July 2nd, July 4th is the day it was adopted by the Continental Congress
- Three of our first five presidents died on July 4th: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson (both on July 4, 1826) and James Monroe (1831); one president, Calvin Coolidge, was born on the 4th (1872)
- An estimated 80% of Americans attend a picnic, barbecue or cookout to celebrate July 4th
- The number of hotdogs consumed for the holiday is over 150 million, enough to stretch across the country
- And, of course, Macy’s fireworks show in NYC is the largest in the country with over 40,000 shells launched from five barges, this year once again on the East River
*Sources: History.com, pbs.org, U.S. Census, CBS
Reminder: Early Market Closing
For those who have transactions they need taken care of, we will be here to help on Monday, July 3rd. A reminder, however, that the markets close at 1:00 PM EST, so please contact us as soon as possible for any time-sensitive needs.