Saturday Data: July 4, 1976

     I had only been living in Alabama, in Birmingham, for less than six months when the U.S. Bicentennial arrived on July 4, 1976.
    A huge celebration was scheduled for New York Harbor---with more gunpowder used in the fireworks than had been used in the entire Revolutionary War. 
     A relative had a penthouse apartment in New Jersey, facing Manhattan, and so I flew back for the holiday weekend. I don't know whether it was the crappy film camera or me being a crappy young photographer, but the surviving photos are not  much to look at. 

Family & friends gathered on the balcony to watch the events on 7-4-76 I think that's Dad in the back, hand raised high.

The fireworks were mostly around the Statue of Liberty. Note the then-new World Trade center on the left.

The fireworks were timed to a patriotic musical score, with the city owned radio station providing the broadcast, and the show made it look like New York Harbor was on fire.

Fortunately there were better photogs around closer to the action:

All in all, it was the best fireworks display I had ever seen, and that's true to this day. 2026 will the the 250th birthday of the U.S.A.
Here's to all of us being around to celebrate it!

Happy 4th of July 2015!

[Saturday Data is a regular feature of www.TimLennox.com]