It's the Fourth of July which means it's time to roll out the grill, crack open the keg, hang up your American Flag, mix up some star-spangled cocktails, and watch a good fireworks show. Not to mention, we should also spend a moment or two recognizing what this holiday is all about and reflect on this important part of American history. To help celebrate this Independence Day, we have rounded up some of the best apps to help you reflect on the day, plan your party, and even put on your own little fireworks show.
In the excitement of barbecues, parties, fireworks, and vacation, it's easy to forget what the 4th of July is all about -- celebrating Independence Day, the day that that United States adopted the Declaration of Independence and freedom from Great Britain. Many of us haven't read this important document since high school or college, and I'm sure there are even many Americans who have never read the Declaration of Independence. With the U.S. Charters of Freedom for iPhone, you can read the Declaration of Independence (it's not very long!) as well as a detailed analysis of the text. US Charter of Freedom also includes the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Now that we know why we're celebrating this day, it's time to start preparing for the big party. Grill-It! will help you perfect that delicious food you're throwing on the grill. Whether you're cooking steak, pork chops, hot dogs, burgers, or even veggies, Grill-It! will give you all the tips and pointers you need to make it absolutely delectable.
Every meal needs a delicious drink, and Cocktail Flow will transform you into the perfect bartender. My favorite feature of Cocktail Flow is that it will generate a list of recipes based on the ingredients you have on hand. You can also filter by color, so if you really want to get in the 4th of July spirit, you can create a menu consisting of only red and blue drinks.
Unfortunately, there are many counties, like mine, who will not be having a professional fireworks show, leaving their citizens only to experience the small-time fireworks (again if their city allows it) or seek other methods to see a fireworks show. One such alternative is Fireworks!, a little iPhone app that lets you put on your own personal fireworks show in the palm of your hand.
We're going to end with an app that, again, brings the focus to what Independence Day is all about -- The United States of America. Today in American History is a simple little app that gives you facts in U.S. history that are related to the current day. For example, on July 4, Louis Armstrong, Calvin Coolidge, and Nathaniel Hawthorn were born, the Siege of Vicksburg ended during the Civil War, and in 1776, The Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence. Today in American History is a great way to learn random facts about the U.S.
Photo credit: The photo of the fireworks, seen at the top of this article and as the image for the app Fireworks!, is the work of tsuacctnt on Flickr. We edited the iPhone into the photo ourselves.
Former app and photography editor at iMore, Leanna has since moved on to other endeavors. Mother, wife, mathamagician, even though she no longer writes for iMore you can still follow her on Twitter @llofte.