People across the country celebrated Independence Day on Friday, July 4, with the traditional parades, fireworks and cookouts. Others used America's 249th birthday as a chance to protest President Donald Trump and his administration.

The Fourth of July is about all things American: parades, cookouts, cold beer and, of course, fireworks. Those pyrotechnics remain at the center of Independence Day, a holiday 247 years in the making. Massive fireworks lit up the skyline of multiple American cities, marking festivities across the country.