For all the pomp and celebration, July 4 marks a day of shared traditions in a nation that has grappled with divides this past year.

Thousands gather on Coney Island Beach before the Independence Day fireworks on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.
Thousands gather on Coney Island Beach before the Independence Day fireworks on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. (TRT World and Agencies)

Americans are celebrating their country's 241st Independence Day with big-time fireworks, small-town parades and the quirky spectacle of competitive hot dog eating.

Tuesday's festivities stretch from a baseball home-run derby in London to a picnic at the White House to a Utah ski town where residents initially weren't even sure they'd be home for Independence Day after recent wildfires.

For all the pomp and celebration, July 4 marks a day of shared traditions in a nation that has grappled with divides this past year. And in an era of concerns about security, the Independence Day celebrations are mixed with precautions.

TRT World's Sally Ayhan has more from Washington.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies