The Fourth of July, the quintessential American holiday, and our Archives hold a wide variety of images that show how people enjoyed this day through the ages. 

This intriguing image shows a horse race during the First World War on July 4th, 1918.  It is from the Frederick Newman collection, and probably was taken in France.

If you were lucky enough to be stationed at NAS North Island on July 4th of 1924, you could enjoy all the Cream of Chicken Soup you can eat! 

From 1926 to 1929, Loening Amphibian aircraft were used by the Department of the Interior to map Alaska. This image is from the collection of John Torrigan, who participated in the survey.

A Bowlus glider at a glider meet in Pacific Beach on July 4th, 1929.  Image from barnstomer Harry Haw's collection.

This page from a calender from Edwards Air Force Base promises fireworks for July of 1956! 

This car participated in the Rancho Bernardo Independence Day Parade in 1978 to urge San Diegians to help rebuild the Air and Space Museum after a fire destroyed it a few months earlier.

There isn't much that is more patriotic than the Blue Angels and Fourth of July fireworks! 

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