There’s a huge July 4 celebration happening across the United States, yet Brenda Byers left her home in Austin, Texas to experience Independence Day in Canada.

July 4, also known as Independence Day, marks the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the 13 North American colonies officially separated from Great Britain. As the Fourth of July draws nearer, here's a brief rundown of what happened that day in 1776, approximately 249 years ago.