America marked its 250th birthday amid a sweltering heatwave, severe thunderstorms and spectacular fireworks displays, which inadvertently saw a fire break out on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks show in New York City was brought forward to 9 p.m. to avoid thunderstorms on the East Coast as the U.S. marked the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
After the display, images and video on social media appeared to show flames and smoke billowing from the middle of the iconic bridge. No injuries were reported, and the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Over in Washington, D.C., organizers were forced to evacuate the National Mall early evening ahead of President Donald Trump’s address to the nation. The president – whose speech was originally planned for around 10 p.m. – said he would still speak once the inclement weather had passed.
“I don’t care if it’s 2:00 O’Clock in the morning,” he posted on Truth Social, adding that storms bring “good luck.”
Still, Americans across the country were undeterred and celebrated the occasion with hot dogs, BBQs, and street parties.
Elsewhere, spectacular fireworks displays were planned for Chicago’s Navy Pier. New York also ushered in the holiday with a midnight ball drop, mirroring the fanfare of New Year’s Eve, and saw tall ships parade past the Statue of Liberty, recalling the grandeur surrounding the nation’s bicentennial in 1976.
Anticipation for this milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own.
Yet, celebrations months in the making have had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.
Heat is defining the big weekend in many places
In Washington, the city’s main Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday was canceled, but a smaller one rolled along in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in the morning as onlookers sought shade under trees along the route. Also in the area, dozens of members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front wearing face masks and carrying Confederate battle flags held a march. No arrests were reported, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
About 45 minutes before the World Cup match in Houston, a message from astronauts aboard the International Space Station noting the holiday was beamed into the stadium.
On New York’s Coney Island, competitors chowed down on hot dogs at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July contest.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut won for the 18th time in 21 appearances, eating 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. On the women’s side, defending champion Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, held the title by downing 38.75 dogs. Both champions said the heat wave made the competition more difficult.
An uneasy nation gets ready to celebrate
The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a deep divide this election year that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration.
At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump spoke of communism as a “mortal threat to American liberty” with the Republican president saying it was more dangerous than either World War or 9/11.
Without naming Trump, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who is also a democratic socialist and recently backed several successful congressional candidates in their primaries, appeared to reference Trump during a speech Friday.
“Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
To former Democratic President Bill Clinton, this anniversary milestone comes at a time of “renewed questions about America’s future and role in the world, and serious threats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself.” While critical of “the people in charge,” he said in a statement that “there is still nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what’s right with America.”
Vice President JD Vance said small but loud voices would speak on America’s birthday about its imperfections instead of its greatness.
“They will tell you that America is just another country, where the weak struggle against the strong,” Vance said speaking aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor.
