It's been 249 years since the Declaration of Independence was passed by the Continental Congress in 1776, which the holiday commemorates.

In Huntington Beach, some parade-goers staked out their prime spots before dawn today to watch the famed march down Main Street, this year celebrating 121 years. The event is dubbed the biggest Fourth of July parade west of the Mississippi River.

By The Associated Press The Fourth of July is Americana at its core: parades and cookouts and cold beer and, of course, fireworks. Those pyrotechnics also make it an especially dangerous holiday,