July 4

The nation's most extravagant display of July 4 fireworks was a triumphant celebration that turned solemn briefly to commemorate the 10-year mark since the September 11 attacks.Tens of thousands of people from all over the world streamed to Manhattan's West Side to see the pyrotechnics show over the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, featuring more than 40,000 shells exploding in choreographed, multicolored progression.

The pyrotechnics in Washington, D.C., and Boston might get more TV time, but the annual Macy's July 4 fireworks show over the Hudson River is said to be the country's biggest.

Sorry Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. But West Side and New Jersey residents will once again have the best view of the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks . For the second year, the display will be held over the Hudson River instead of the East River.

President Barack Obama marked Independence Day by calling for a revival of the American “spirit” to confront and resolve problems, dismissing critics who say he’s taking on too much too soon.

As school children, we all learn of the significance of the Declaration of Independence. We learned that the plucky colonists took on the tyrannical George III after the king heaped much abuse on the long-suffering colonies. However, as we know, history is never as cut and dried as that. Britain wasn't as evil as we learned and the colonists weren't guiltless. If anything, the story of independence is the story of two peoples who had grown apart.