July 4th, 1776 - Thomas Jefferson purchased a thermometer from a local merchant before signing the Declaration of Independence. According to his weather memorandum book, at 1 PM it was cloudy and 76 degrees.
I appreciated the weather history from July 4, 1776 about Thomas Jefferson's thermometer reading of 76 degrees at 1:00 p.m. He was an avid weather enthusiast, making periodic observations and recording them in a journal.
However, the document was not signed on July 4, as is the common misconception. Congress did approve of the final text on this date. The president of the Congress, John Hancock, and the secretary of the Congress, Charles Thompson, signed off on it, giving it official approval.
The actual signing of the Declaration by 56 congressional delegates would not take place until August 2.
Did you know the Declaration of Independence has a historical connection with Kentucky? Well, not in the late 1700's. But, here is a bit of history you may not have heard or read....
On December 23, 1941, just over two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the signed Declaration, together with the Constitution, was removed from public display and prepared for evacuation out of Washington, D.C. Under the supervision of armed guards, the founding document was packed in a specially designed container, latched with padlocks, sealed with lead and placed in a larger box. All told, 150 pounds of protective gear surrounded the parchment. On December 26 and 27, accompanied by Secret Service agents, it traveled by train to Louisville, Kentucky, where a cavalry troop of the 13th Armored Division escorted it to Fort Knox. The Declaration was returned to Washington, D.C., in 1944.References:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/delegates-sign-declaration-of-independence
http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-declaration-of-independence
https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-declaration-of-independence/fascinating-facts/
MS
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