Flag of Philippines
America isn’t the only country to gain its independence on the 4th of July. In the Philippines, the 4th of July actually marks independence from America. The United States was ceded the Philippines in 1898, as part of the treaty that ended the Spanish-American War. But on July 4th, 1946, shortly after World War II, the U.S. granted the Philippines its sovereignty. (UPDATE: But as several commenters have noted, the Philippines stopped celebrating Independence Day on July 4th in 1962; per President Diosdado Macapagal, Independence Day was switched to June 12, the date the Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898.) Rwanda also celebrates “Liberation Day” on the 4th to commemorate the end of the Rwandan genocide: On July 4th, 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front gained control of the capital city of Kigali, setting the stage for peace.