Line #38 Main/FoundingDay


1	The anniversary of the founding of a city, a state, a country, or any other geographic region (whether it be real or fictional), is often a cause for celebration. These are even more festive when the anniversary is a centennial (100-year), bicentennial (200-year), etc.
2
3	TruthInTelevision, as founding celebrations often take place in real life, with possibly the most famous one being Independence Day (July 4) in the United States (with its 1976 Bicentennial being more of a celebration than usual).
4
5	May be a FictionalHoliday.
6
7	----
8
9	!!Examples:
10
11	[[foldercontrol]]
12
13	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
14	* ''Anime/TheBigO'': "Heaven's Day" is a celebration of the day Paradigm City was founded. It's clearly [[YouMeanXmas related to Christmas]] (giving presents, trees, etc.), and [[spoiler: [[BigBad Alex Rosewater]] seems to know the significance of its trappings, and mentions it's "the day God's son was born" - which has some ominous overtones given his ambitions...]]
15	* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Academy City's independence day is October 9th.
16	[[/folder]]
17
18	[[folder:Comic Books]]
19	* ''ComicBook/AfterEden'' is about six characters whose love lives are changed in an unnamed city who is celebrating its centennial townfest.
20	* Creator/DCComics
21	** Comics cover-dated July 1976 featured a banner at the top saying "DC Comics Salutes the Bicentennial".
22	** One of DC's infamous cash grabs was a tie-in comic titled ''Franchise/{{Superman}} Salutes the Bicentennial'', where Superman only appears briefly to introduce reprints of stories about DC's Revolutionary War hero Tomahawk.
23	* Unlike the DC example above, Creator/MarvelComics released the comic ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's Bicentennial Battles'', featuring an all-new Captain America story written and drawn by Creator/JackKirby.
24	* ''[[ComicBook/SunnySeries Sunny Side Up]]'' covers the United States Bicentennial in 1976. Sunny's family and friends attend patriotic celebrations that day (as they live in Valley Forge) and that night attend a picnic and cookout. [[spoiler:Things go wrong during the night's fireworks when her [[DrugsAreBad substance-abusing older brother]] Dale shows up late and drunk and, when fighting with their father, accidentally hits Sunny hard enough to bruise her when she tries to stand between them to stop the fighting.]]
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Fan Works]]
28	* In the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' story "The Prisoner Of Stone", Smurfy Friendship Day, which is celebrated as a second Valentine's Day, is actually the day when the Smurf Village was first founded by its various settlers.
29	* ''Website/HarveyGirlsForeverFanon'':
30	** The episode "The Girls Who Called Wolf" takes place on the week of the founding day of Harvey Street, and the kids are having a celebration complete with a Crush4U performance. However, Todd and Juanita had a news report about three wolves, Blackjack, Goliath, and Doofus, destroying the celebration, and the Harvey Girls are up to the challenge to beat those wolves down in order to save the celebration...[[spoiler: and get new fireworks because the old ones went off]]!
31	** The episodes "Crush 4 Fireworks", "The Cougar Girls" and "Parade of Disaster" took place on the 4th of July.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
35	* The climax of ''Film/{{Batman1989}}'' is the anniversary of Gotham's founding, with Joker launching a gas attack on the parade.
36	* ''Film/IndependenceDay'': The aliens invade the Earth shortly before the 4th of July. During his rousing speech, the US president encourages people to fight for their lives. He anticipates that if humans prevail and survive, the 4th of July will be a holiday for the whole Earth.
37	-->''"Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July. And you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution. But from annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday... but as the day when the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!"''
38	* ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' (released in 1976 and taking place in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed 200 years earlier) referenced the Bicentennial during the film. In particular, Apollo Creed dresses as both George Washington and Uncle Sam during his entrance to the boxing match.
39	* ''Film/TheSpiritOf76'' takes place mostly during the Bicentennial, as the time-traveling protagonists meant to go to the founding of America but landed two centuries too late.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Literature]]
43	* Creator/IsaacAsimov
44	** ''Literature/FoundationSeries'':
45	*** "Literature/TheEncyclopedists": During the 50th anniversary of founding Terminus with the Encyclopedia Foundation, a {{hologram}} of [[PosthumousCharacter the dead]] Hari Seldon appears and announces that the organization is a fraud, and Terminus was actually founded as the next Galactic Empire.
46	*** "Literature/TheMayors": During the 75th anniversary of the Foundation colonizing Terminus, a {{hologram}} of [[PosthumousCharacter the dead]] Hari Seldon appears, and [[AllAccordingToPlan describes the way the Foundation has used religion to subvert control from their more powerful neighbors]].
47	*** "Literature/TheMule": During the 300th anniversary of the Foundation colonizing Terminus, a {{hologram}} of [[PosthumousCharacter the dead]] Hari Seldon appears, to [[AllAccordingToPlan describe the civil war between Terminus and the Traders]]... [[SpannerInTheWorks which had been called off due to the Mule's attack]], causing a MassOhCrap reaction in every witness.
48	** "Literature/TheTercentenaryIncident": The story starts on 2076 July 4, the three hundred year anniversary (Tercentenary) of America's Declaration of Independence. This is celebrated despite the fact that, [[OneWorldOrder under the Federation]], America acts like a state within the Planetary Council, where it is represented by the American President. During a public celebration, the President is the target of an AssassinationAttempt.
49	--->July 4, 2076-and for the third time the accident of the conventional system of numeration, based on powers of ten, had brought the last two digits of the year back to the fateful 76 that had seen the birth of the nation.
50	* Creator/JosefCapek's children's book ''Literature/AllAboutDoggieAndPussycat'' has a chapter "How Doggie and Pussycat celebrated the 28th October", which is about two anthropomorphic animals Doggie and Pussycat celebrating the foundation day of Czechoslovakia. They keep going shopping disguised as children because the shopkeeper promised to give a small Czechoslovak flag to all children for every purchase. They decorate their house with the flags and feel proud that it looks so pretty. Notably, the chapter about celebrating this democratic holiday was forbidden during both totalitarian regimes (Nazi's Protectorate and Communists).
51	* ''Literature/CiaphasCain'': One of Cain's first assignments is to a regiment comprised of what's left of two entirely different regiments after a severe Tyranid mauling: The 301st specializing in planetary assaults, and the 296th a rear-echelon garrison. And for extra fun, the former is all-male and the latter all-female, with their commanding officer being made colonel because literally everyone else in the line for promotion was dead and had three days' seniority over her counterpart in the 301st. Cain barely manages to get them to work together, and there there' a BarBrawl that results in several dead, because the mess hall was using the 296th' dinnerware as it was their FoundingDay. Cain's solution is to refound the regiment as the 597th and distribute non-fatal punishments to those involved, and they eventually become one of the best in the Imperium's history.
52	* A subplot in ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'''s ''Literature/FeetOfClay'' involves the tricentenary of the founding of the First Ankh-Morpork Republic on the 4th of Grune 1688 following the Ankh-Morpork Civil War. However, the only people who care are historical re-enactment geeks, and most of them are closet royalists who think the wrong side won.
53	* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', Nicolae Carpathia announces the Global Gala taking place 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation period as a time to celebrate the founding of the Global Community. In reality, though, he timed it to take place around the same time that the Two Witnesses would end their period of prophesying to the people about Jesus' coming, which would make them powerless to withstand being shot to death by Nicolae himself, which turns out to be [[AsTheGoodBookSays all according to]] [[Literature/TheBible Scripture]].
54	* Creator/AdamRex's ''Literature/TheTrueMeaningOfSmekday'': The titular Smekday is an anniversary of when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it "Smekland" (in honor of their glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod.
55	* Creator/RandyShilts' book about the AIDS crisis, ''Literature/AndTheBandPlayedOn'', begins with the Bicentennnial celebrations in New York City, when sailors from all over the world came there to celebrate, and addresses the speculation that the AIDS epidemic began with those sailors.
56	* Grampy from ''Literature/GrassAndSky'' hates the Fourth of July because that's when the people who camp (often illegally) by the lake start getting drunk and rowdy and making trouble for everyone else.
57	* ''Literature/TheVazulaChronicles'': The merpeople's only holiday is Founders' Day, which is near the winter solstice and celebrates the establishment of the [[UnderwaterCity triple kingdoms]]. The charity home where Merletta grew up celebrated the holiday with games and a simple meal. The Center of Culture, where she trains, hosts a much more lavish banquet and various athletic contests.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
61	* ''Series/AllInTheFamily'': In the episode "Mike's Move", after hearing a particularly racist rant from Archie on what makes America great, Mike says "I think we just heard Archie Bunker's Bicentennial Minute", a reference to TV spots that aired during the mid-70s.
62	* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': The PilotEpisode opens on "Unification Day", a yearly celebration of the Alliance's conquest of the independent outer worlds. Captain Reynolds, having fought against Unification, likes to celebrate it by starting a BarBrawl.
63	* ''Series/MamasFamily'': "Flounder's Day" centers on Mama wanting to sing Raytown's town anthem during its Founder's Day celebration.
64	* The ''Series/{{Maude}}'' episode "Tuckahoe Bicentennial" has the title character organize a tribute to American women for the town's celebration of the Bicentennial.
65	* On ''Series/TerraNova'', the colony has a yearly celebration commemorating the First Pilgrimage and the establishment of Terra Nova. It is called, appropriately enough, Founding Day.
66	* ''Series/SharpObjects'': Wind Gap has Calhoon Day, celebrating a Confederate war hero and his underage wife, which is right on brand for the town's particular kind of ugliness.
67	* ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'': After a bribe attempt in "Bust Amboy," which aired in the fall of 1976, Starsky remarks, "You know, I think this is gonna be our first bicentennial bribery offer."
68	* ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'': "Oh Say Can You Sing" has Joe singing with a rock group at a Fourth of July concert.
69	* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'': The season four premiere, “Founder’s Day”, involves a group of characters being sent back in time while the town is celebrating Founder’s Day.
70	* The 1989 ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' episode "The Stork Brings a Crane" involves the celebration of the bar's centennial. When Pete points out that the sign says "Est. 1895", Sam says he made that up because Carla was into numerology at the time and said it was luckier.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Music]]
74	* The Music/XUSBand song "Fourth of July" takes place on the titular holiday.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Theme Parks]]
78	* Ride/DisneyThemeParks: From June 1975 through September 1976, both Disneyland and Walt Disney World presented ''America on Parade'', a special pageant honoring American history and achievements in celebration of the Bicentennial.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Video Games]]
82	* One chapter of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZero'' is the anniversary celebration of Crossbell State, which is an all hands on deck emergency for the Crossbell Police, as it's the biggest tourist week of the year.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Web Animation]]
86	* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': The "Happy Fireworks" toon is an episode focusing on the 4th of July (American Independence Day), although much like the site does for Christmas, the holiday isn't mentioned directly.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Western Animation]]
90	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': The episode "Elwood City Turns 100!" is about Mr. Ratburn's class putting on a tribute to their town's centennial.
91	* The ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' Season 1 episode "Irrational Treasure" has Dipper and Mabel attending Gravity Falls' Pioneer Day, which, while not specifically stated as the town's founding day, does put great emphasis on its founding by Nathaniel Northwest [[spoiler:(or so it would seem. Turns out the town was ''actually'' founded by Quentin Trembly, the 8th and a half President of the United States)]].
92	* ''WesternAnimation/LibertysKids'': The aptly named "The First Fourth of July" revolves around the first celebration of America's independence from Great Britain.
93	* ''WesternAnimation/MikeLuAndOg'': The episode "Founder's Day" revolves around the islanders putting on a musical play about the founding of Albonquetine.
94	* In the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "Floundering Fathers", attempts to organize a celebration for the anniversary of O-Town's founding lead Heffer, Filbert, and Mr. Bighead to debate over whose ancestors actually founded O-Town.
95	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In the episode "Lisa the Iconoclast", Springfield prepares to celebrate its bicentennial when Lisa makes a shocking discovery about the town's founder. [[spoiler: At the celebration, however, Lisa sees how the lie has brought out the best in everyone and decides to keep her discovery a secret.]] The episode also contains a reference to the United States' Bicentennial.
96	-->'''Principal Skinner:''' Now, as you all know, Springfield's 200th birthday is just a week away. Every class will do its part to make our ''local'' bicentennial just as memorable as our ''national'' bicentennial. Of course, you children are too young to remember that... with the possible exception of [[OlderThanTheyLook Kearney]].
97	-->'''Kearney:''' ''(shaving himself)'' Those tall ships really lifted the nation's spirits after Watergate.
98	* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': Empire Day celebrates the founding of [[TheEmpire the Galactic Empire]] fifteen years previously. [[spoiler:[[IronicBirthday Ironically]], [[SignificantBirthDate it's also Ezra's fifteenth birthday]]]].
99	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'': The episode "[[Recap/TeenTitansS3E7Revolution Revolution]]" takes place during the Fourth of July and sees Mad Mod attack Jump City, using his hypno-screens to revert everything to colonial times.
100	* ''Franchise/TomAndJerry'': The theatrical short "WesternAnimation/SafetySecond" sees Jerry and Nibbles celebrating the Fourth of July. Nibbles wants to set off firecrackers/fireworks, but Jerry would rather not out of concern for Nibbles' safety.
101	[[/folder]]
102

Context Main / FoundingDay