Seventy years ago today, another independence took place on July 4th. On this day in 1946, the Philippines was granted independence from the United States, which held it first as a territory in 1898, and then as a commonwealth in 1935.
Here’s an old newsreel showing the events of that time, which includes an excerpt of a speech by General Douglas MacArthur:
The signing of the Treaty of Manila by Philippine President Manuel Roxas and U.S. Ambassador Paul McNutt sealed the deal, and the Philippines has been its own country ever since. Happy Republic Day!