WASHINGTON —

Through history, the Fourth of July has been a day for some presidents to declare their independence from the public. They've bailed to the beach, the mountains, the golf course, the farm, the ranch. In the middle of the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt was sailing to Hawaii on a fishing and working vacation.

It's also been a day for some presidents to insert themselves front and center in the fabric of it all.

In the video player above: A look at which president is said to have had an influence on the tradition of fireworks for the Fourth of July

Teddy Roosevelt drew hundreds of thousands for his July Fourth oratory. In 2019, Donald Trump marshaled tanks, bombers and other war machinery for a celebration that typically avoids military muscle.

Richard Nixon enraged the anti-war masses without even showing up. As the anti-Nixon demonstrations of 1970 showed, Independence Day in the capital isn't always just fun and games. It has a tradition of red, white and boo, too.

In modern times, though, presidents have tended to stand back and let the people party.

George W. Bush had a ceremony welcoming immigrants as new citizens. Barack Obama threw a South Lawn barbecue for troops. Bill Clinton went to the shores of Chesapeake Bay to watch a young bald eagle named Freedom be released to the wild.

In 2021, Joe Biden gathered more than 1,000 people on the White House South Lawn to eat burgers and watch fireworks. That event was noteworthy because such gatherings were unthinkable in the first year of the pandemic. Many wished Biden had not thought of doing it even then — the rampage of the omicron COVID-19 variant was still to come.

Still, the burgers were an improvement from July 4, 1850, when Zachary Taylor wolfed down apparently spoiled cherries and milk (and died five days later. )

A look at what some presidents have done on the Fourth of July:

1777: On the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with the Revolutionary War underway, a future president, John Adams, describes a day and night of spontaneous celebration in Philadelphia in a letter to his wife, Abigail. After hours of parading troops, fireworks, bonfires and music, he tells her he strolled alone in the dark.

"I was walking about the streets for a little fresh air and exercise," he writes, "and was surprised to find the whole city lighting up their candles at the windows. I walked most of the evening, and I think it was the most splendid illumination I ever saw; a few surly houses were dark; but the lights were very universal. Considering the lateness of the design and the suddenness of the execution, I was amazed at the universal joy and alacrity that was discovered, and at the brilliancy and splendour of every part of this joyful exhibition."

Video below: A historian discusses why July 2 is also a significant date as it relates to America declaring its independence

1791: Two years after becoming the first president, George Washington celebrates in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, "with an address, fine cuisine, and walking about town," says the National Park Service. Philadelphia was the interim capital as the city of Washington was being readied. Lancaster had hosted the Continental Congress for a quick, on-the-run session during the revolution.

1798: Now president, Adams reviews a military parade in Philadelphia as the young nation flexes its muscle.

1801: Thomas Jefferson presides over the first Fourth of July public reception at the White House.

1822: James Monroe hangs out at his farm in Virginia.

1826: Adams, the second president, and Jefferson, the third, both die on this July Fourth.

1831: James Monroe, who was the fifth president, dies on this July Fourth.

1848: James Polk witnesses the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument with Abraham Lincoln, then an Illinois congressman, attending. A military parade follows.

1850: Taylor attends festivities at the grounds of the Washington Monument and falls ill with stomach cramps after eating cherries and drinking iced milk and water. He dies July 9. A theory that someone poisoned him with arsenic was debunked in 1991 when his body was exhumed and tested.

1861: Lincoln sends a message to Congress defending his invocation of war powers, appealing for more troops to fight the South and assailing Virginia for allowing "this giant insurrection to make its nest within her borders." He vows to "go forward without fear."

1868: Postwar, Andrew Johnson executes a proclamation granting amnesty to those who fought for the Confederacy.

1902: Teddy Roosevelt speaks to 200,000 people in Pittsburgh.

1914: "Our country, right or wrong," Woodrow Wilson declares at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

1928: Calvin Coolidge (born July 4, 1872) goes trout fishing in Wisconsin.

1930: Herbert Hoover vacations by the Rapidan River in Virginia.

1934: Franklin Roosevelt is in or near the Bahamas after leaving Annapolis, Maryland, on a monthlong voyage and visit to Hawaii via the Panama Canal. On July 4, the U.S.S. Houston's log refers to the "fishing party" leaving the ship for part of the day.

1946: With World War II over the year before, Harry Truman relaxes in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains at Roosevelt's Shangri-La retreat, later renamed Camp David.

1951: With the U.S. at war in Korea, Truman addresses a huge crowd at the Washington Monument grounds, on the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

1953 and 1957: Dwight Eisenhower = golf.

1968: Lyndon Johnson, who favored his Texas ranch on the holiday, speaks in San Antonio about the lack of independence for the poor, minorities, the ill, people "who must breathe polluted air" and those who live in fear of crime, "despite our Fourth of July rhetoric."

1970: Nixon, in California, tapes a message that is played to crowds on the National Mall at an "Honor America Day" celebration organized by supporters and hotly protested by anti-war masses and civil rights activists. Tear gas overcomes protesters and celebrants alike, Viet Cong flags mingle with the Stars and Stripes, and demonstrators — some naked — plunge into the Reflecting Pool.

1976: As the United States turns 200, Gerald Ford speaks at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, then Independence Hall, and reviews the armada of tall ships in New York harbor.

1987: Ronald Reagan, at Camp David, makes a straight political statement in his holiday radio address, pitching an economic "bill of rights" and Robert Bork for the Supreme Court. On a Saturday, it served as his weekly radio address, which he and other modern presidents used for their agendas.

2008: Bush, like several presidents before him, hosts a naturalization ceremony. More than 70 people from 30 countries are embraced as new citizens.

2010: Obama brings 1,200 service members to the South Lawn for a barbecue. The father of a July Fourth baby, Malia, he would joke that she always thought the capital fireworks were for her.

2012: Obama combines two Fourth of July traditions — celebrating troops and new citizens — by honoring the naturalization of U.S. military members who came to the country as immigrants.

2017: Trump goes to his golf club, then hosts a White House picnic for military families.

2021: Biden tells a crowd on the South Lawn that "we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus." It was the largest event of his presidency since taking office. COVID-19 cases and deaths had dipped to or near record lows at that point but would rebound as the omicron variant spread.

2023: Biden plans to host a barbecue and holiday celebration at the White House for members of the military, veterans and their families.

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Sunday marks the start of Kwanzaa and one woman is turning to education to celebrate the special tradition.

It's a seven-day, non-religious holiday observed in the United States. Kwanzaa is meant to honor African Americans' ancestral roots.

"It’s so important to convey this tradition because it’s ancient. It’s not new, it’s old, and it brings us together," Doris Fields, who celebrates Kwanzaa, said.

The tradition often involves symbolic items like a candle holder (Kinara), unity cup (Kikombe cha Umoja), placemat (Mkeka), crops (Mazao), corn (Muhindi) and gifts (Zawadi).

Fields has celebrated the holiday for over 35 years, from paying homage to ancestors to sharing hopes for the new year.

"Usually there are people in their 90s [who attend], and they have so much wisdom," Fields said. "They have so much to offer to us."

While Fields' annual events may look smaller due to the coronavirus pandemic, she said she doesn't stop the opportunity to teach.

On Sunday, her home was a haven for a small group of friends, eager to learn more about the tradition.

"There were people here who had not had Kwanzaa with us before, so it's very nice to be able to share our thoughts," Fields said.

The holiday involves seven principles, represented by candles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

"I’ve been celebrating Kwanzaa with my family. probably for the last like 10 or 15 years," Markella Clinton, who also celebrates Kwanzaa, said. "It’s something I look forward to every year. It’s a great family excuse. It’s a great community motivator as well because you don’t just have to be family to be able to come and enjoy."

According to UCHealth, a not-for-profit health care system, Kwanzaa is the fastest-growing holiday in the world.

As popularity increases, Clinton said it's important to ask important questions.

"Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to look for information," Clinton said. "Educate yourself, because it’s not a religious holiday. It’s about community engagement and having faith in yourself and having faith in your community."

The celebration lasts until Jan. 1.

CINCINNATI —

Local artist, educator and owner of Not Your Average "Paint and Sip" mobile unit, James Reynolds, designed and prepared the mural concept for today's event at Court Street Plaza downtown.

"This season, more than any other, is about appreciating and celebrating our community," Reynolds said. "Our mural will be a wonderful expression of Cincinnati's vibrancy, diversity and fraternity."

The event on Saturday afternoon was created to invite and inspire local residents to come together as a community to share and express their inner artist.

Court Street Plaza served as today's canvas, which produced a community-created mural honoring the city of Cincinnati.

Along with the community-wide mural painting, there were also performances by local musicians, coffee stands, and even take-home crafts, inspired by the new mural.

The free event was one of several community-produced holiday events in the FOUND series. FOUND is a collection of creative and engaging holiday events aimed at bringing the community together in Cincinnati's urban core.

You can catch a glimpse of the new mural at the storefront below the Stanley & More Flats located at 11. E. Court Street.

You can find more events produced by FOUND here.

CELEBRATION, Fla. — Almost half of the people who receive CPR, 45%, received it from a bystander. That’s why kids at one Florida high school are learning it.

Students at Celebration High School are getting a crash course in saving lives.

“As soon as the video is over, I’m going to explain to them what we are doing with the dummies and how they are doing CPR and how we’re checking them,” said Rokaia Collison, a teacher leading the training.

A new law in Florida now requires 9^th and 11^th graders to learn the lifesaving technique.

According to the American Heart Association, Florida is the 39^th state where CPR training is mandatory.

“Learning hands-only CPR teaches them skills outside of a high school setting and as they grow older, should they experience somebody experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, they might be able to assist them,” said Michelle Turnage with the American Heart Association.

Natasha Alejandro is a junior at Celebration High School. We followed her through the process of learning CPR.

She and her classmates got in line and when it was their turn, they stepped up to the dummies.

"It doesn’t seem hard, but I feel like if I was doing it to a real person, I’m not doing anything because I can’t feel the clicking,” she said.

It’s not a real-life experience, but now Alejandro and hundreds of other students have a little more know-how should they need it.

“Conditioning always conditions you for the main event, so I guess learning this beforehand does condition you to any certain event,” said Alejandro.

It’s a real-world skill that students like Brandon Gonzales are happy to have. He’s a funny kid, but he knows this is serious.

“That’s a life, got to save everyone, because everyone is equal,” he said.

You never know when you might be able to save a life

“He died on the gym floor and while we can’t say what the outcome would have been, he had absolutely no chance at survival in his situation when there’s no CPR and no AED used, then you have no chance," said Kristin Cobb Simpson.

She lost her nephew, Burke, in 2012 after he collapsed during a pickup basketball game. Burke had an enlarged heart and went into cardiac arrest.

Despite his condition, the family believes if CPR had been initiated, there’s a good chance Burke could have survived. In 2014, they lobbied the Louisiana legislature to pass the Burke Cobb Act, requiring all Louisiana high school students to learn CPR.

“Even that situation that Burke was in, those 20 to 25 friends could be potential lifesavers,” said Cobb Simpson.

The kids we spoke with in Celebration are happy about the new law in Florida.

“Enforcing this does give us a positive outlook when it comes to certain situations like this. Hey, I do know how to do this, hey I can be useful. Even if we called 911, it takes a while to get here,” said Alejandro.

While they’re waiting for professionals to arrive, kids in Celebration, and across the country will have the skills to help save a life.

FAIRFIELD, Ohio — One by one, they kept walking through the front door of the Skyline Chili on Hicks Boulevard.

They were longtime Skyline customers, Fairfield firefighters, neighbors, co-workers and the mayor.

They were all there to see Duane Sparks and celebrate his retirement after 35 years as dishwater, bus boy and greeter at the Butler County chili parlor.

Sparks, 52, was hired when he was an 18-year-old client at Butler County Developmental Disabilities. He started at the Skyline across the street and moved to the Hicks Boulevard location when it opened about 25 years ago.

His mother, Jean Sparks, believes Duane’s 35 years working in a public setting is one of the longest in Butler County Developmental Disabilities history.

Sparks, wearing a cardboard crown with the words “The Legend Has Retired,” bounced around the inside of the restaurant, seemingly more excited to greet the next guest.

One of his highlights was riding in a blue convertible Corvette with Fairfield Mayor Steve Miller. He waited for the traffic to clear then “burned rubber” down the street, as Sparks put it.

“It was fun, very exciting,” Sparks said during his open house that was hosted by the restaurant’s owners, Dennis and Robin Kurlas.

Sparks was presented a 35-year pin by the owners.

Dennis Kurlas was asked what it’s been like having an employee with developmental disabilities working in his restaurant.

“We learned from him more than he learned from us,” he said. “It’s a gift that he gave us. He gave our community a gift.”

Rick McCrabb, Journal-News

His wife added: “He is such an integral part of not only the Skyline family but what he has done for the whole community. He has just touched everybody.”

His mother didn’t know he had developmental disabilities until he was 18 months old. He didn’t start talking until he was 5. He attended schools in Fairfield and Ross.

Jean Sparks said she felt a little sadness for her son.

“It’s an end of an era for him,” she said.

The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO 9 News.

CINCINNATI —

This July Fourth has been a celebration not only of Independence Day, but also a return to what feels like a normal summer.

This time last year, many events were scrapped due to COVID-19 and people said they are happy to be back.

There is an energy in the air.

In Harrison, band students marched and played instruments in a parade through downtown.

"It's nice to be everyone together, no masks, and watch our kids. Our kids have been in the band and so it's nice to see them in person," parent Jon Roberts said.

Some said this July Fourth feels especially meaningful.

"I think it makes everybody appreciate this year a little bit more. Not being able to do as much as we were able to last year," parent Kristin Claypoole said.

Last year, COVID-19 fizzled out most Independence Day celebrations, but in places like Harrison, the tradition is back.

Cars, people, floats and the band all made their way through town.

Candy and other free giveaways were thrown into the streets and in the direction of people happy to pick them up.

"I really did miss it. I couldn't hang out with my friends on Fourth of July like I usually do and I just really missed them," 11-year-old Adriana Claypoole said.

In Blue Ash, one of the biggest celebrations in Greater Cincinnati, Red, White and Blue Ash, was on.

"It's a day to celebrate and it brings happiness to me whenever I think about it and it's a day to feel proud," 12-year-old Avni Sharma said.

People snagged their spots for a show they've come to expect.

"It does kind of feel like a fresh start, and it's nice to just be able to return to normalcy, slowly but surely," Alee Hawkins said.

They said this Fourth of July is about celebrating a milestone and even better days ahead.

"We're back in business. That's what it means. I mean, this is life, everybody likes to enjoy themselves and they finally can," Brandon Barry said.

There have been many celebrations across Greater Cincinnati this weekend.

People were already setting off fireworks before the sun even set on Sunday.

SPRINGDALE, Ohio —

New video shows what it looked like inside Dave & Buster's in Springdale as a large fight exploded.

Families were startled, and employees warned police that a gun and a Taser were involved.

Police said a man was found shot nearby.

WLWT talked with a man who happened to be in the restaurant and arcade celebrating a birthday as it all unfolded and used his phone to record some of it.

A number of employees called 911 for help begging police to hurry.

"I just can't believe that I witnessed that, that that stuff actually happens," Chandler Davis said.

Davis said he captured video of the fight on Monday night inside Dave & Buster's.

He was there for his girlfriend's sister's 21st birthday celebration, but this was no way to mark that milestone.

"I see a bunch of men throwing fists at each other, so I decided to record it and I didn't want to get too close because there was a girl there with a stun gun and she was going around hitting a bunch of guys in the neck with it," Davis said.

The video he captured showed the intensity of it all.

Five employees called 911 asking police to hurry as the fighting only got worse.

"It's like 10, 15 people and they're fighting. They've got Tasers and everything," an employee said during a 911 call.

In the calls, employees tell 911 dispatchers someone has a gun.

Davis saw their reaction in real time as the fight continued inside and eventually moved outside.

"We were sitting there and one of the workers came running back inside and he didn't say he had a gun but he was like, 'Everybody stay in here' and like, 'Stay down,'" he said.

Springdale police found a 37-year-old man shot nearby.

He is expected to be OK.

Police said no one was arrested, but they are making progress.

Meanwhile, Davis isn't sure he will be back.

"Just don't do it in public, if anything. Just don't do it at all at that. Just, especially not in public around kids, because I was right by a family and they had a little kid and they were really, really freaked out," he said.

Springdale police said they have set up a meeting to talk with Dave & Buster's about security and preventing this from happening again.

They were at this arcade earlier this year for fights and shots were fired near a neighboring business, though no one was hit.

Dave & Buster's has not responded to our request for comment.

Anyone with information about this fight should call Springdale Police at 513-346-5760 or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.