From New York to California, sun-drenched Americans poured into city plazas, backyard barbecues, beaches and local bars for super-sized celebrations marking the country’s 250th anniversary.
The milestone coincided with a massive heat wave that brought stifling triple-digit temperatures and weather advisories to much of the country, causing a slew of canceled events. Hundreds of thousands temporarily evacuated festivities in Boston and Washington, DC, amid concerns about severe thunderstorms.
Still, many Americans were reluctant to let the sweltering heat or stormy skies stop their party.