July 4th celebrations mark America's 250th birthday. Follow live updates.
Americans are celebrating 250 years of independence this Fourth of July with events including the largest fireworks display in history.
Updated on: July 4, 2026 / 6:20 AM EDT / CBS News
What to know about July 4th celebrations and America 250:
Ball drops in Times Square mark arrival of July 4 in every American time zone
The first, at 10 a.m. on Friday, marked midnight in the U.S. territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The ball drop at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time was then followed by time zones across the nation, with the finale at 7 a.m. marking midnight in American Samoa.
"This is more than a countdown. It's a moment that brings the entire country together, one time zone at a time," said Rosie Rios, chair of America250 , the group organizing the event, which aims to support Giving 4th , a day of charitable giving.