The Week By the Numbers Two Week Extravaganza: A Star-Spangled Special

By Matt Phifer

After taking a small hiatus from The Week By the Numbers over the 4^th of July holiday, I decided to return with an All-American numerical special.  Enjoy!

9 – Number of U.S. Territories

In addition to the 50 states, the United States owns nine territories including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Guam and the Midway Islands.

150 – Years since the Battle of Gettysburg

Civil War re-enactors portray a cavalry battle at the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg re-enactment on July 6. (Photo by Matt Phifer)

From July 1-3, the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania commemorated the 150^th anniversary of the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War.  There were an estimated 51,000 casualties in the battle, which is considered the turning point in the War Between the States.

237 – The Age of the United States

July 4 marked the 237^th anniversary of the United States declaring its independence from Great Britain.  Yet contrary to popular opinion, most of the signers of the declaration did not sign on July 4^th, 1776.  The only two who signed the document on that day were President of the Second Continental Congress John Hancock and Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson.

1931 – The Year the Star-Spangled Banner was named the National Anthem of the United States

The Star-Spangled Banner was originally a poem called the Defence of Fort McHenry, which was written by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key, while observing the British attack on Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812.  The poem refers to the fact that after the battle the American flag or “star-spangled banner” was still waving.  The tune the words were eventually put to is actually a Welsh drinking song.

Over 316 million – The Population of the United States

According to the United States Census Bureau, the population of the U.S. is over 316 million people.