With the obvious topic for the July feature being the story behind the Fourth of July, we at first tuesday decided to travel down a different path.

While independence, family and fireworks are all good things, there’s so much more to celebrate during the month of July than meets the eye.

For example, did you know July is National Hot Dog Month? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), Americans will eat a whopping 24.1 million hot dogs at Major League baseball parks during this year’s season alone. That’s enough hot dogs, when laid end to end, to stretch from Dodger Stadium to Camden Yards. And speaking of Dodger Stadium, it tops the list of hot dog eating stadiums in the league with 1.61 million hot dogs eaten per year, with Coors Field, Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium and Minute Maid Park rounding out the top five. (For you Angels fans out there, don’t feel left out. The stadium formerly known as Edison Field comes in at number six with 1.1 million hot dogs consumed per year.)

So go to a game, enjoy a dog or two (or five), and if anyone gives you grief about it, just tell them it’s National Hot Dog Month.

Still hungry? How about some fried chicken on National Fried Chicken Day (July 6th)? Or some blueberries and baked beans during the entire month of July? While you’re at it, why not pack up a picnic basket and enjoy a day out with your loved ones during National Picnic month? And don’t forget to leave some room for dessert because, you guessed it, July is also National Ice Cream Month!

According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States produces over 1.4 billion gallons of ice cream and related frozen desserts each year. That’s almost 20 quarts per person. California leads the way in ice cream production in the United States, followed by Indiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Minnesota.

And if having the entire month of July to eat ice cream isn’t enough for you, don’t forget to celebrate these specific dessert dates:

• Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day (July 1);
• National Strawberry Sundae Day (July 7);
• National Peach Ice Cream Day (July 17);
• National Ice Cream Day (July 19); and
• National Vanilla Ice Cream Day (July 23).

Other (unusual) July holidays and events

7/1		start of National Canned Luncheon Meat Week
7/2		main text of the Declaration of Independence actually passed in 1776 Amelia Earhart disappeared in 1937 Civil Rights Act of 1964 adopted
7/3		Disobedience Day Air Conditioning Appreciation Days begin
7/4		the poem, “America the Beautiful” is published in 1895
7/6		first All-Star baseball game played in 1933
7/7		Tanabata Star Festival (Japan)
7/9		National Sugar Cookie Day
7/10		National Piña Colada Day
7/11		Coca-Cola Classic introduced in 1985
7/13		National French Fry Day 1st World Cup match held in 1930 start of Lead Poison Control Week
7/17		Disneyland opens in 1955
7/19		National Daiquiri Day
7/21		National Junk Food Day
7/24		National Tequila Day
7/26		Americans with Disabilities Act adopted in 1990
7/27		National Scotch Day
7/28		National Milk Chocolate Day
7/29		National Cheesecake Day
7/30		National Lasagna Day

Other miscellaneous July factoids

Everyone knows the answer to the question, “Who killed Alexander Hamilton?” (Go ahead, drink your milk first before answering.) But do you know when Hamilton was shot during his duel with “you-know-who?”

It was July 11th 1804. Hamilton did not die until the next day.

And speaking of “you-know-who” for you Potter-files out there, it’s Harry Potter’s birthday on July 31.

For more information on the NHDSC and what they actually do, and for great summer hot dog and sausage recipes, go to http://www.hot-dog.org.

For more information on the IDFA, ice cream and other dairy products, go to http://www.idfa.org/facts/index.cfm.

For more information on Alexander Hamilton and his famous duel with, yes, Aaron Burr, go to http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton or http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/hamilton.

And for more information on Harry Potter, go to http://www.hp-lexicon.org or http://www.mugglenet.com.

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