{"id":145766,"date":"2026-07-05T07:03:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T07:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/us-marks-its-250th-birthday-with-fireworks-flyovers-and-extreme-weather\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T07:03:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T07:03:32","slug":"us-marks-its-250th-birthday-with-fireworks-flyovers-and-extreme-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/us-marks-its-250th-birthday-with-fireworks-flyovers-and-extreme-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"US marks its 250th birthday with fireworks, flyovers and extreme weather"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Jul 5 \u2014 The United States of America marked its 250th birthday with fireworks, flyovers, some intense weather across the country, much of which has simmered under an unforgiving heat wave for days.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe American dream is back,\u201d US President Donald Trump told a cheering crowd at a delayed rally on the National Mall in Washington before the reputed largest fireworks display ever in the US lit up the night.<\/p>\n

The 4 July federal holiday commemorates the 13 US colonies signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to end British rule.<\/p>\n

The sharply divided country has seen Trump criticised for making himself central to the milestone and politicising it by launching Freedom 250 celebrations, which are separate from congressionally established America 250 events.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Trump\u2019s remarks \u2013 where he hit on recent political themes of rejecting communism, Save America Act legislation he favors and the right to bear arms \u2013 wrapped up just before midnight at the Freedom 250 event.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong live the cause of independence,\u201d he said. \u201cMay it reign forever and ever and ever, we will always be on top, we will never let our country fall, we will always be the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upon closing, he told the crowd, \u201cthis is only the dawn of the golden age of America\u201d with its destiny \u201cwritten by God\u201d.<\/p>\n

The grande finale of the fireworks show was marked by a massive flurry of blasts \u2013 reaching a much anticipated crescendo. As it concluded around 1am, the small crowd on Capitol Hill cheered and rapidly started heading for the exits in a light rain.<\/p>\n

The celebration, which included a flyover \u2013 one featuring the new Air Force One jet \u2013 a concert \u2013 as well as the speech and fireworks was delayed by a thunderstorm that forced an evacuation of the National Mall in the early evening.<\/p>\n

\u2018Separate in name and power\u2019: How America reinvented English<\/a><\/p>\n

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Trump presidency reignites its founding debate \u2013 how much power is too much?<\/a><\/p>\n

Americans are celebrating their split from Britain \u2013 how is the UK marking it?<\/a><\/p>\n

Freedom 250 asked guests in the area attending Salute to America, the Great American State Fair and Fifa fan zone events to seek temporary shelter in a nearby buildings. Throughout the day, the capital had broiled under 100F (37C) temperatures \u2013 part of a larger heat wave enveloping the eastern US.<\/p>\n

Also in Washington, about 400 members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front were seen carrying US flags while marching in unison through the streets of the capital.<\/p>\n

Videos posted to social media and the group\u2019s own Telegram channel showed the masked, uniformed members marching near the Capitol building and Union Station, the city\u2019s main passenger rail hub.<\/p>\n

The group was founded in 2017 following violence at the Unite the Right rally in Virginia, breaking off from another group.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Concerts and naturalisation ceremonies<\/h2>\n

As part of the bipartisan America 250 celebrations, communities across the country took part in \u201cAmerica\u2019s Block Party\u201d and hosted local gatherings. Musicians also performed at US landmarks, including Ne-Yo and Mary J Blige in New York City\u2019s Times Square, The Smashing Pumpkins and Chaka Khan in Los Angeles, and Christina Aguilera and Will Smith in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

In Philadelphia \u2013 considered the \u201cbirthplace of America\u201d because the Declaration was signed there \u2013 members of Congress gathered at Independence Hall this week to mark the day of the vote for American independence in 1776.<\/p>\n

A special flyover took place over the city of Brotherly Love which hosted France\u2019s match against Paraguay in the football World Cup.<\/p>\n

\nFireworks light up the sky over the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City\n<\/div>\n
\nJoey Chestnut won the 2026 Nathan\u2019s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City\n<\/div>\n

America 250 organisers also buried a time capsule to be opened in 200 years, that included a Coca-Cola bottle, signed copy of the Constitution, and artifacts from the 50 states and US territories.<\/p>\n

At Mount Vernon in Virginia \u2013 first US President George Washington\u2019s estate \u2013 a naturalisation ceremony welcomed 150 people from 50 countries as US citizens. The new Americans took an oath of allegiance promising to, among other things, obey and defend the US Constitution.<\/p>\n

New York City hosted its annual hot dog-eating contest, a tradition since 1972, where Joey Chestnut won his 18th title in the contest. Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs in 10 minutes, according to CBS, the BBC\u2019s US news partner. In the women\u2019s competition, Miki Sudo finished 38 and three-quarters of a hot dog to claim her 12th contest title.<\/p>\n

\nF22 Raptor fighter jets escort the new version of Air Force One as they fly over the National Mall\n<\/div>\n

Heat waves and power outages<\/h2>\n

Americans tried to keep cool during celebrations during a sweltering heat wave on the US East Coast that cancelled festivities earlier this week.<\/p>\n

On Friday, organisers of the National Park Service\u2019s Independence Day Parade in Washington DC cancelled the annual event over \u200bsafety concerns. Some celebrations also were shut down in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland \u2013 and as far west as Colorado.<\/p>\n

The highest temperatures were expected in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, where the mercury could reach 108F (42C).<\/p>\n

On the National Mall in Washington volunteers handed out bottles of water from buckets of ice before sunshine gave way to thunderstorms.<\/p>\n

Nearly 750,000 went without power in the east due to extreme weather with another 150,000 in New Jersey, according to tracker Power Outage.<\/p>\n

Energy company DTE said that severe weather, including winds over 60mph (97km\/h) on Friday evening in Michigan, left more than 350,000 homes in the state without power.<\/p>\n

Other states affected include Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

Former presidents reflect<\/h2>\n

All four living former US presidents also shared messages to celebrate the milestone. President Joe Biden, Trump\u2019s predecessor, recalled the Independence Declaration\u2019s edict that all people are created equal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe chose that path 250 years ago but that\u2019s where the work began, not where it ended,\u201d he said before warning that the nation\u2019s promise of equality for all was still a work in progress.<\/p>\n

The country\u2019s first black president, Barack Obama, reshared excerpts of a recent speech he made at his presidential museum\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more to do to fulfil the nation\u2019s founding ideals,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery generation must take up the unfinished work of the last and carry it further \u2013 protecting what\u2019s right, fixing what\u2019s wrong, and making our union a little more perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 43rd president George W Bush said \u201cthe next 250 years require Americans to be citizens, not spectators\u201d.<\/p>\n

Americans need to \u201ctake an active interest in the health and welfare of our country and the communities in which they live\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

His predecessor Bill Clinton took a moment to comment on US politics today.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we celebrate this milestone amid another period of deep division, renewed questions about America\u2019s future and role in the world, and serious threats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself,\u201d the 42nd president said.<\/p>\n

Kwasi Asiedu contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Brutal heat cancels Fourth of July events, from DC to Philadelphia<\/a><\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

After 250 years the American Dream is surviving, but only just<\/a><\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump inserts himself into the centre of America\u2019s 250th birthday celebrations<\/a><\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Jul 5 \u2014 The United States of America marked its 250th birthday with fireworks, flyovers, some intense weather across the country, much of which has simmered under an unforgiving heat wave for days. \u201cThe American dream is back,\u201d US President Donald Trump told a cheering crowd at a delayed rally on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145766\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}