I am in beautiful Tempe, Arizona, famous for almost nothing, except maybe that it was the home of the Meat Puppets. Tempe (pronounced tem-PEE) is the perfect place to celebrate Independence Day, USA.
I’m feeling very independent today!
United States of America
On July 01, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail: “The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
It appears John was wrong. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress. Historians have long disputed whether members of Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.
If from Romulus, Rome; from Bolívar, it is Bolivia.
Bolivia
The deliberating Assembly convened anew in Chuquisaca on 9 July 1825. It concluded with the determination of the complete independence of Upper Peru, in the form of a republic, for the sovereignty of its people. Finally, the president of the Assembly – José Mariano Serrano – and a commission wrote the “Act of Independence”, which bears the date 6 August 1825 in honor of the 1st anniversary of the Battle of Junín won by Bolívar in Peru, whose introduction states as follows:
“The world knows that Upper Peru has been on the American continent, the altar on which was spilled the first blood of the free and the land where the last of the tyrants lays. Today, the Upper Peruvian departments, united, protest in the face of the whole Earth its irrevocable resolution to be governed by themselves.”
Independence was declared by 7 representatives from Charcas, 14 from Potosí, 12 from La Paz, 13 from Cochabamba, and 2 from Santa Cruz. This marked the formal declaration of independence of the departments of Upper Peru into a new republic.
Genghis Khaaaaaaannnnnnnn!
Mongolia
At 12:01 in the morning of 1 January 1984, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah read the Declaration of Independence:
The Independence Day of Mongolia (Mongolian: Үндэсний эрх чөлөө, тусгаар тогтнолоо сэргээсний баярын өдөр) is the main state holiday in Mongolia. This date is celebrated annually on 29 December. It marks Mongolia’s independence from Qing China in 1911. It has been celebrated annually in Mongolia since 2011. Independence Day is also the term used for Constitution Day on November 26.
In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution broke out and Outer Mongolia declared its independence on December 29, 1911. The newly established Bogd Khanate of Mongolia led by the Bogd Khan lasted for 8 years until it was occupied by the Republic of China in 1919, but regained its independence on 11 July 1921.
U.A.E.! U.A.E.!
United Arab Emirates
UAE National Day (Arabic: اليوم الوطني; Al Yawm Al Watani”) is celebrated on 2 December each year in the United Arab Emirates. The seventh emirate, Ras al Khaimah, was added to the federation on 10 February 1972 making it the last emirate (state) to join.
The UAE National Day stands for the nationalization of the British Protectorate Treaties, which were declared in 1968, and also falls on the anniversary of the federal unification of the six emirates (seven in 1972 after Ras Al Khaimah joined) in 1971 which combined to form the modern-day country, headed by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the federation’s first president. Recently, the UAE National Day has been combined with the Emirati Martyr’s day that is on November 30th.
A polka can dance polka.
Poland
National Independence Day (Polish: Narodowe Święto Niepodległości) is a national day in Poland celebrated on 11 November to commemorate the anniversary of the restoration of Poland’s sovereignty as the Second Polish Republic in 1918 from the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires (although the Second Polish Republic was de facto formed on 7 October 1918). Following the partitions in the late 18th century, Poland ceased to exist for 123 years until the end of World War I, when the destruction of the neighboring powers allowed the country to reemerge.
The holiday was officially replaced by the National Day of Poland’s Revival as Poland’s National Day, celebrated on 22 July anniversary of the communist PKWN Manifesto under Joseph Stalin. In particular, during the 1980s, in many cities, including Warsaw, informal marches and celebrations were held, with the outlawed Solidarity Movement supporters participating. Typically these marches were brutally dispersed by the communist militarized police forces, with many participants arrested by the security police. During this time 11 November Independence Day marches, alongside the Constitution Day on 3 May celebration gatherings, also banned by the communist authorities, were the customary dates of demonstrations by the opponents of the communist regime. As Poland emerged from communism in 1989, the original holiday—on its original 11 November date—was restored.
We are forty!
Kyrgyzstan
The Independence Day of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Республикасынын көз карандысыздыгынын күнү, Russian: День Независимости Кыргызстана) is the main state holiday in Kyrgyzstan. It is celebrated in Kyrgyzstan annually on August 31, the anniversary of its declaration of independence in 1991.
On August 31, 1991, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan adopted a law on the “Declaration on State Independence of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan”. Because of this, the Kyrgyz Republic was declared an independent state. Kyrgyzstan officially adhered to the principles of international law, and cooperation between peoples. In 1993, the first constitution was adopted, which has changed several times in 20 years. In the years since independence, Kyrgyzstan has had two revolutions, each putting the first two Presidents of Kyrgyzstan in exile in Russia and Belarus respectively.
Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh!
Vietnam
National Day (Vietnamese: Ngày Quốc Khánh) is a national holiday in Vietnam observed on 2 September, commemorating President Hồ Chí Minh reading the Declarations of independence of Vietnam at Ba Đình Square in Hanoi on 2 September 1945. It is the country’s National Day.
During World War II, the Japanese occupied Vietnam and allowed the French to remain and exert some influence. At the war’s end in August 1945, a power vacuum was created in Vietnam. Capitalizing on this, the Việt Minh launched the “August Revolution” across the country to seize government offices. Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated on 25 August 1945, ending the Nguyễn dynasty. On 2 September 1945, at Ba Đình Square, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh, declared Vietnam’s independence under the new name of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN) in a speech that invoked the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.
Leading up to, and then following, the end of the Vietnam War, the Communist Party of Vietnam (thereafter the government of a united Vietnam) established a unified list of national holidays. These new holidays were to include the International Labour Day on 1 May, the anniversary of the August Revolution on 19 August, Viet Nam’s National Day on 2 September, and Ho Chi Minh’s birthday on 19 May. The lunar new year, Tết Nguyên Đán and the mid-autumn moon, Tết Trung Thu, continued to be observed as traditionally.
The list of full public holidays in Vietnam has been revised since 2007 but National Day, 2 September, remains a full public and bank holiday. By 2019, the holiday was lengthened by one day by adding one day immediately before or after 2 September.
I’m whirling!
Somaliland
Independence Day of Somaliland is an annual celebration and a public holiday in Somaliland and neighboring Somalia that commemorates the proclamation of independence of the short-lived State of Somaliland on 26 June 1960.
In the late 19th century, the territories of what is now Somalia and Somaliland was divided between Britain and Italy. During the Second World War, British Somaliland was invaded by Italian troops, but the British eventually regained control of it. After the war, British Somaliland remained a British protectorate, but it was decided that British Somaliland and the Trust Territory of Somaliland (formerly Italian Somaliland) would be united as a single independent state after a prolonged transition period.
Agreements and Exchanges of Letters between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Somaliland in connection with the Attainment of Independence by Somaliland
On 26 June 1960, British Somaliland gained independence as the State of Somaliland. On 1 July, the country united with the former Italian Somaliland to become the Somali Republic. The anniversaries of both events are now celebrated as public holidays in Somaliland and Somalia.
On 18 May 1991, a revived Republic of Somaliland “reaffirmed” sovereignty over State of Somaliland from the Somali Democratic Republic. Since 1991, Somaliland has been a self-declared sovereign state that is recognized as an autonomous independent region of Somalia by the international community. Its government regards its territory as the successor state to the State of Somaliland, and seeks full international recognition as the Republic of Somaliland.
Khmer and have a look.
Cambodia
Independence Day (Khmer: បុណ្យឯករាជ្យជាតិ) is a national holiday observed annually in Cambodia every 9 November. The date celebrates Cambodia’s Declaration of Independence from France on 9 November 1953. The site to celebrate the ceremony is at Independence Monument. The vital celebrations are held in the capital city, Phnom Penh although there are some celebrations in many provinces.
France started controlling Cambodia in 1863. After being colonized around 80 years, King Norodom Sihanouk began claiming independence from France in 1949. In 1953, he was successful to gain full independence, and France agreed to decolonize the whole country. Due to this accomplishment, Cambodian citizens viewed him as “the father of independence (ព្រះមហាវីរបុរសជាតិ – ព្រះបិតាឯករាជ្យជាតិ)”, which depicts that he was the hero of the country. He helped make the country develop rapidly.
The morning ceremony features the raising of the national flag and the lighting of a memorial torch at the Independence Monument, presided by the King of Cambodia in his capacity as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
Let’s visit the islands!
Algeria
Independence Day (Arabic: عيد استقلال, French: Jour de l’Indépendance), observed annually on 5 July, is a National Holiday in Algeria commemorating colonial Algerian independence from France on 5 July 1962.
The Algerian War of Independence began in November 1954 and ended in 1962. The war was very brutal and long, and was the most recent major turning point in Algeria’s history. Although often fratricidal, it ultimately united Algerians and raised the value of independence and the philosophy of anticolonialism into the national consciousness. Abusive tactics of the French Army remains a controversial subject in France to this day.
Between 350,000 and 1 million Algerians are estimated to have died during the war, and more than 2 million, out of a total Muslim population of 9 or 10 million, were made into refugees or forcibly relocated into government-controlled camps. Much of the countryside and agriculture was devastated, along with the modern economy, which had been dominated by urban European settlers (the pied-noirs). French sources estimated that at least 70,000 Muslim civilians were killed or abducted and presumed killed, by the FLN during the Algerian War. Nearly one million people of mostly French, Spanish and Italian descent were forced to flee Algeria at independence due to the unbridgeable rifts opened by the civil war and threats from units of the victorious FLN. Along with them fled most Algerians of Jewish descent and those Muslim Algerians who had supported a French Algeria (harkis). 30–150,000 pro-French Muslims were also killed in Algeria by FLN in post-war reprisals.
French President Charles De Gaulle pronounced Algeria an independent country on 3 July.The decision was published in the official journal the following day, and Algerian leaders declared 5 July, the anniversary of the French arrival in Algiers, to be Independence Day.
It takes two.
Argentina
The Argentina Independence Day (Spanish: Día de la Independencia Argentina) is celebrated every year on July 9. This date originates in commemoration of the signing of the Argentine Declaration of Independence, on Tuesday July 9, 1816, in the house of Francisca Bazán de Laguna. In 1941, the building was declared a National heritage site. The decision to become independent was taken by the Congress of Tucumán, which chose the city of San Miguel de Tucumán from the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, which proclaimed the political independence of the country from the Spanish Monarchy and also renounced all foreign domination.
After the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and according to General Lamadrid, it was proposed to hold a party to celebrate the event; this would take place on the evening of the following day, 10 July, in the courtyard of the same house of the hostess, Doña Francisca Bazán de Laguna.
Nevertheless, it was on 9 July 1816 that the people of San Miguel de Tucumán celebrated the event with great fanfare on the outskirts of the city, where more than five thousand people attended.
The Holy See.
Vatican City
National Day (Vietnamese: Ngày Quốc Khánh) is a national holiday in Vietnam observed on 2 September, commemorating President Hồ Chí Minh reading the Declarations of independence of Vietnam at Ba Đình Square in
The Lateran Treaty (Italian: Patti Lateranensi; Latin: Pacta Lateranensia) was one component of the Lateran Pacts of 1929, agreements between the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and the Holy See under Pope Pius XI to settle the long-standing Roman Question. The treaty and associated pacts were named after the Lateran Palace where they were signed on 11 February 1929, and the Italian parliament ratified them on 7 June 1929. The treaty recognized Vatican City as an independent state under the sovereignty of the Holy See. The Italian government also agreed to give the Roman Catholic Church financial compensation for the loss of the Papal States. In 1948, the Lateran Treaty was recognized in the Constitution of Italy as regulating the relations between the state and the Catholic Church. The treaty was significantly revised in 1984, ending the status of Catholicism as the sole state religion.
Don’t be rushin’ here.
Ukraine
The Unification Act (Ukrainian: Акт Злуки, romanized: Akt Zluky, IPA: [ˈɑkt ˈzlukɪ]; or Велика Злука, Velyka Zluka, IPA: [ˈwɛlɪkɐ ˈzlukɐ]) was an agreement signed on 22 January 1919, by the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic on the St Sophia Square in Kyiv. Since 1999 the Day of Unity of Ukraine, celebrated every year on 22 January to mark the signing of the treaty, is a state holiday; but not a public holiday.
“On behalf of the Ukrainian people’s republic.
The directorate notifies the Ukrainian people about the great event in the history of our Ukrainian land.
On 3 January 1919, in Stanislaviv city, the Ukrainian national council of the west Ukrainian people’s republic, expressing the will of all Ukrainians of the former Austrian empire and acting as their highest legislator, solemnly proclaimed the unification of the western Ukrainian people’s republic with the Dnieper Ukrainian people’s republic in a single sovereign people’s republic.
Greeting this historic step of our western brothers with great joy, the directorate of the Ukrainian people’s republic decided to accept that unification and to implement it on the terms specified in the resolution of the western Ukrainian people’s republic of 3 January 1919.
From now on, the parts of the single Ukraine, which were separated for centuries — the west Ukrainian national republic / Halychyna, Bukovyna and Hungarian Ukraine / and the great Dnieper Ukraine — become one.
The centuries-long dreams that the best sons of Ukraine lived with and died for came true.
From now on there is unified and independent Ukrainian people’s republic.”
Little Venice.
Venezuela
Independence Day (Spanish: Día de la Independencia), also known as the Fifth of July (Cinco de Julio) is the national independence holiday of Venezuela, marked every year on July 5 which celebrates the anniversary since the enactment of the 1811 Venezuelan Declaration of Independence, making the country the first Spanish colony in South America to declare independence. In recent years, it is also marked as National Armed Forces Day (Día de la Fuerza Armada Nacional) to honor the faithful service of all the serving men and women and veterans of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela.
The Caracas Independence Day parade, or Joint Civil-Military Parade of the 5th of July (Spanish: Desfile civico-militar conjunto del 5 de julio) is one of the largest in the Americas.
The other independence holiday is on 19 April, honoring the declaration of a local junta in Caracas on 19 April 1810, launching the road towards the First Republic of Venezuela and the start of the independence struggle.