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

In 1971, Maria Escalon became a U.S. citizen. She said she does not take this day for granted. “It’s very important to celebrate a nation that has given us the opportunity to really be somebody that we couldn’t be in our country,” Escalon said. She tries to make it to Shawnee Park every Fourth fo July.

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.