US Independence Day: Nation is 248 years old

Happy 248th birthday, America!

The United States on Thursday is celebrating nearly two and a half centuries of freedom, the Fourth of July holiday that marks its Declaration of Independence from Britain, war-time adversaries in the 1700s and long since, through two world wars in the 20th century and numerous other global conflicts, the staunchest of democratic allies.

The holiday is marked across the U.S. w