Independence Day celebrations

The 3d US Infantry, traditionally known as 'The Old Guard', perform during a ceremony to reopen the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island to the public in New York July 4, 2013. Under steamy summer skies, tourists in New York flocked to ferries headed for the Statue of Liberty, re-opening with an Independence Day ceremony after closing in October as Superstorm Sandy approached. [Photo/Agencies]

The Haig family stands for the United States pledge of allegiance before a public reading of the United States Declaration of Independence, part of Fourth of July Independence Day celebrations, in Boston, Massachusetts July 4, 2013. People across the United States gathered on Thursday for parades, picnics and fireworks at Independence Day celebrations, held under unprecedented security following the Boston Marathon bombings. Spectators waving US flags and wearing red, white and blue headed for public gatherings in Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta and other cities under the close watch of police armed with hand-held chemical detectors, radiation scanners and camera surveillance, precautions sparked by the deadly April 15 bombings. [Photo/Agencies]