• Coney Island has been a popular destination for the Fourth of July since the early 20th century.
• Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held on July 4 since the 1970s.
• Vintage photos of the Fourth of July on Coney Island show crowded beaches and the hot-dog contest.

No place does the Fourth of July quite like Coney Island, from its annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest to its iconic boardwalk and firework displays.

Coney Island has been a destination for Fourth of July celebrations for over a century, and the seaside neighborhood is still popular for New Yorkers who want to escape the city for the day.

Since the 1930s, throngs of tourists have gathered at Coney Island to lie on its beach and soak up the summer weather. Today, people still walk along the boardwalk, enjoy some rides, and eat a hot dog or two — or many more. 

These vintage photos show what Coney Island's Fourth of July celebrations have looked like through the years.

Fourth of July marks one of the busiest days of the year in Coney Island.

In a black-and-white aerial photo from 1920, you can see thousands of people gathered on the boardwalk and Coney Island Beach on the Fourth of July.

In the 1930s, Coney Island exploded as a popular destination for beachgoers and families on the Fourth of July.

This photo, taken on July 4, 1938, shows crowds of people gathered on the beach. There are so many people that you can hardly see the sand.

Thirty years later, revelers still visited Coney Island Beach to celebrate Independence Day.

In this photo, a pair of unidentified men in shorts pose for the camera.

The beaches were also popular in the mid-'90s.

In a 1995 photo, children can be seen running and playing in the water while their parents look on.

Coney Island has continued to experience growing visitor numbers in the years since. The reopening of Luna Park, an amusement park on the boardwalk, in 2010 also helped buoy visitor numbers.

People also came to Coney Island to shop on the boardwalk.

In this photo from July 4, 1968, customers shop inside a Coney Island store that sells tobacco-related products, candy, and portable radios.

The first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held in the 1970s.

The first official contest was held in 1972, CNN reported.

Nathan's had once claimed the tradition started in 1916, but PR professionals Max Rosey and Mortimer Matz, hired by Nathan's, later told The New York Times they had fabricated the legend about it starting that year.

The first official winner of the contest was a woman named Melody Andorfer.

The Coney Island History Project reported that she ate 12 hot dogs in five minutes and won a paper crown as her prize.

In this photo from 1961, an unidentified man eats a Nathan's Famous hot dog outside the iconic restaurant.

Edward Krachie was the 1995 champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

He's pictured holding up his trophy after winning the 1995 annual contest.

The New York Times reported that he won after eating 19 and a half hot dogs in 12 minutes and beating the defending champion by just half a dog.

The record for the most hot dogs ever eaten at the contest was set more recently, in 2021, when competitive eater Joey Chestnut ate 76 in 10 minutes.

The contest has been successful ever since, drawing thousands of in-person attendees and even more online viewers each year.

Here, three unidentified contestants pose with plates of hot dogs prior to the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Nathan's was and still is a popular establishment in Coney Island to grab a cheap dog on the Fourth of July or any other summer day.

In this circa 1968 photograph, a couple eats hot dogs in front of Nathan's Famous fast-food restaurant in Coney Island.

President Trump on Friday morning said he was unaware that the word "Shylock" is considered by some to be antisemitic, after using it during a Thursday night rally in Iowa.

What to know: Shylock, the villain of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," was written as a greedy and vengeful Jewish moneylender who eventually is forced to convert to Christianity.

What Trump said at the rally: "Think of that: no death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker. And in some cases, Shylocks and bad people."

What the Anti Defamation League said via X: "The term 'Shylock' evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible. It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States."

What Trump said the next day to reporters: "I've never heard it that way. To me, Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. I've never heard it that way, you view it differently than me. I've never heard that."

Flashback: In 2014, then-Vice President Biden used the term "Shylocks" to refer to rapacious bankers, after which he apologized for his "poor choice of words."

• This post originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
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For this special holiday edition of AI Playground, I asked ChatGPT and Anthropic's powerful new Claude 4 chatbot for recommendations for my Tahitian trip. I'm on vacation with my wife and a group of friends to celebrate the birthday of one of our oldest friends, Theresa. We're staying in Moorea for about seven days. There are four couples ranging in age between roughly 50 and 60 years old. I requested suggestions such as activities during the day and evenings, along with restaurant and bar recommendations. Finally, I asked what would be the best event and location to celebrate Theresa's birthday.

Then, I asked Theresa and another friend, Lisa, to review the AI responses. My buddies had already spent a ton of time planning this vacation, so they immediately knew whether the chatbots had done a good job, or not. Here's what they thought:

Theresa, the birthday girl:

Both chatbots gave similar recommendations, such as a cultural tour, 4x4 rentals, a lagoon cruise plus snorkeling, and what I hadn't even thought about: a sunset cruise on my birthday. ChatGPT recommended three restaurants that we booked: Rudy's, Moorea Beach Cafe, and the Manava Polynesian show. Claude recommended one place we booked, Cocobeach. Both recommended Holy Steak House, but it's a 40-minute taxi ride from our hotel, which seems not worth it when there are so many other restaurants nearer. I preferred the ChatGPT format of a day-by-day itinerary. Claude's seemed like it was too heavily focused on marketing from the Cook's Bay hotel.

Lisa:

ChatGPT's answer was more comprehensive, listing a sample daily itinerary with pricing estimates and source/reference links. There was overlap, but ChatGPT offered more options and parsed its suggestions in an easy-to-read bullet format. The icons were a bit gimmicky, or maybe just overused. The response from Claude was easier to read, and I preferred its visual layout, but it proposed a smaller selection of activities, restaurants, and other things to do. Neither site mentioned scuba diving as a possibility, despite the fact that there's excellent diving around Moorea and many of us are doing this on the trip. (She gave ChatGPT 4.5 stars out of 5. Claude got 3.5 stars from her.)

• This post originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
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Big Tech just won big in the battle over data and copyright. The implications for business, publishing, and the future of the web are profound.

Two recent US court rulings, including one in favor of Anthropic's use of millions of books for AI training, have nudged the legal consensus closer to this reality: All content published online is now fair game. Companies such as Google, Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft may never have to pay for the text, images, or video they ingest to power their AI tools.

This is a huge win for Big Tech and the new AI economy. But it could upend the web and the creators who keep it vibrant. If AI can repackage all digital knowledge in milliseconds, the value of the written word, and probably other content, plunges. For now, judges seem unpersuaded by the US Copyright Office's argument that this flood of new content undermines the market for the original material. For now, fair use appears to protect the AI giants.

Cloudflare, which runs one of the largest networks on the web, is pushing back with a new tool to make AI pay-per-crawl, shifting the paradigm from opt-out to opt-in. Publishers including The Atlantic, Ziff Davis, and Time are on board.

These rulings could drive a deeper shift. Now that the content-scraping shackles are off, creators may rethink how and where they share knowledge online. Bloomberg keeps its news stories inside the Terminal. Tech blogger Ben Thompson uses newsletters and stays firmly behind a paywall. And Microsoft's new "Signal" magazine? Print-only.

In a world where AI bots roam freely, the most valuable ideas may move offline or go dark. A new era of scarcity, privacy — and maybe even paper — may be just beginning.

• Beans are packed with nutrients, including fiber and protein.
• A new study suggests consuming one cup per day can also lower low-grade inflammation in the body.
• Here are the recipes participants used to get it done.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you … can cut down on dangerous, chronic low-grade inflammation.

Researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology recently discovered just how much black beans can help lower inflammation in a remarkable trial.

They gave roughly two dozen people with prediabetes a three-month supply of canned beans. The directions were simple: incorporate one cup of black beans into your diet, every single day for 12 weeks. (In a control group, participants ate white rice instead).

Some people mixed their beans into soups, others topped their salads with black beans. Each person in the bean-eating group just had to ensure they were eating a cup per day.

It's something that people living in the longevity Blue Zones around the world already do automatically, through force of habit. With this study, there's fresh evidence that their technique can help anybody who is at risk of developing chronic diseases improve their health and longevity.

Black beans owe their dark, deep hue to plant chemicals that may also help fend off inflammation

In this small study, eating black beans had a big impact on people's levels of a protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) which is a key marker of inflammation. During the course of the study, black bean eaters reduced their average IL-6 levels from 2.57 picograms per milliliter to 1.88, a significant decrease.

Lead researcher Indika Edirisinghe, a professor of food science and nutrition at IIT, says he suspects a big part of the reason why black beans are so great at lowering chronic, low-grade inflammation has to do with the chemicals that give them their rich, deep black coloring.

"They have something called polyphenolic compounds," Edirisinghe told Business Insider. "The polyphenolic compounds are bioactive, and they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity."

Just in case participants were stumped on how to start incorporating more black beans into each day, they were given a lifeline: Edirisinghe and his team offered participants several mouthwatering bean recipes, including one for black bean brownies, a chicken and black bean chili, a bean "caviar" snack dip, and a colorful bean salad in a jar.

"There's no rocket science," Edirisinghe said. "It's very simple, and there's a great opportunity here to become healthy."

Here are 4 of the easy — and tasty — black bean recipes patients used during the study

Taco salad in a jar

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and warmed up
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 cups of frozen corn, thawed and warmed up
• 1 head of romaine, chopped
• 1 cup of shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1 cup of diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat
2. Add the turkey and season with taco seasoning and salt
3. Cook the turkey, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula, until it is golden and cooked through, about eight to 10 minutes. Then set it aside for five minutes to let it cool.
4. Using six mason jars, layer the turkey, then black beans, corn, romaine, cheese, and tomatoes
5. Refrigerate until ready to eat. (Makes a great lunch!)

Black bean brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Combine all the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor, and blend until very smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, a blender can work, but the consistency won't be as smooth.)
3. Stir in the chips
4. Pour into a well greased 8x8 pan
5. Sprinkle extra chips on top, if you like
6. Cook brownies for 15 to 18 minutes
7. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting
8. If they still look somewhat undercooked, put them in the fridge for an hour to firm up

Chicken, quinoa, and black bean chili verde

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 16-oz. jar of salsa verde
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. of canola oil
• 1 tbsp. of ground cumin
• Salt
• Sour cream and cilantro, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat up the oil
2. Cook the onion and garlic until tender, about six minutes
3. Add the cumin, and season with salt
4. Add the beans, chicken, and salsa verde and stir until combined
5. Add 5 cups of the chicken broth and quinoa and bring to a boil
6. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes
7. If the quinoa absorbs most of the liquid, add the extra cup of chicken broth
8. Serve with sour cream and cilantro

Cowboy caviar

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of black beans
• 1 cup of corn
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 orange bell peppers, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/3 cup of lime juice
• 1/3 cups of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp. of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp. of hot sauce
• Tortilla chips for serving

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce, cumin, and salt
2. In a large bowl, combing the remaining ingredients, except the chips
3. Pour the dressing from the small bowl into the large bowl and toss until well combined
4. Serve it up with the chips

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Good morning. Happy 249th birthday, America — not that we're counting! — with warm regards from London.

As the BI Today team is off for the holiday, I'm bringing you an abbreviated version of the newsletter.

In today's big story, why Fourth of July celebrations may be more muted than you're expecting — and why the situation next year could be even worse.

Also, don't forget to subscribe to BI's Defense Flash, your new weekly guide to the latest in warfare innovation, defense tech, and more. Subscribe!

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

The surprise guests at your barbecue: tariffs

Could you imagine the Fourth of July without fireworks? Well, we aren't quite there yet, but you may be seeing fewer in the sky this evening.

That's because many Americans have discovered their sparklers now come with a surcharge. From fireworks to backyard barbecues, President Donald Trump's tariffs are threatening to rain on America's birthday parade.

The trade war with China has driven up the price of many of America's favorite pyrotechnics.

Meanwhile, higher tariffs, coupled with stubbornly high inflation and a historic low in the American cattle supply, have jacked up the price of everything from beef to ice cream.

Although I've never personally celebrated a Fourth of July (my lot was on the other side), those all strike me as crucial components for a quintessentially American celebration.

Northwestern University's Medill Spiegel Research Center, which tracks consumer behavior, predicts a 5% drop in Independence Day celebrations this year, largely thanks to those higher prices.

BI spoke with Americans who feel like they're being forced to scale back on parties this year — with one discovering that the tariffs will push them $2,000 over-budget.

Perhaps even more alarming is the impact the tariffs could have on next year's celebrations.

It'll mark the 250th birthday of the US — meaning Americans will likely do it big.

Demand for fireworks is expected to surge for the momentous anniversary, but due to long lead times (shipments from China are usually ordered a full year in advance) and uncertainty around where the China tariffs will end up, industry watchers say there's a real risk of significant product shortages and higher prices.

In other news

• Congress has passed Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill.' Here are 4 ways it could impact your wallet.
• Trump's tax plan won't help Tesla, but 2 other EV companies got a stock boost.
• Diddy could get a 20-year prison sentence but the reality probably won't be anything close to that.
• The NCAA settlement is a big win for football players. For other athletes, the picture is murkier.
• This company is requiring employees take PTO this summer — and is offering some a $1,000 vacation stipend.
• 'I don't trust it, I don't like it': Lawmakers sound off on why they don't use AI.
• Robinhood is known for its meme-stock and crypto traders. Its CEO says users are embracing passive investing too.
• The CEO of a key SpaceX rival says customers are drawn to his company because it's 'even-keeled'.
• 'Love Island USA' star Elan's brother is running his Instagram. He told us he's 'not doing this for the clout.'

What's happening today

• Samsung Electronics issues Q2 pre-earnings guidance.

• Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

  ---

  Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Akin Oyedele, deputy editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York (on parental leave).

• I upgraded to Eurostar Plus for an extra $34 on a work trip to Paris.
• It wasn't as luxurious as premium economy, and the meal was mediocre.
• But cheap upgrades are frequent, and the extra space is ideal for a solo traveller.

I might be an aviation reporter, but I always prefer taking the Eurostar over a flight to Paris.

Security is much more efficient, and the journey times aren't too different, given that the train stations are in the city centers.

On a work trip from London to the French capital last month, to report from the Paris Air Show, I had the opportunity to upgrade to Eurostar Plus.

Business Insider paid $130 for this journey, only $34 more than the standard class on the same train.

I definitely preferred the extra legroom and having no seat next to me. However, the mediocre meal and lack of lounge access assured me that I wouldn't go out of my way to upgrade.

While the top class, Eurostar Premier, offers lounge access and better food, prices are typically above $300.

Compared to an airline, I'd say Eurostar Plus isn't quite as luxurious as flying premium economy. I think I felt more benefits as a solo traveler, so I would only look to upgrade again for a similarly good price.

It isn't that rare to see Eurostar Plus offered at a small upgrade from standard.

The online booking process was straightforward, without any of the pop-ups or add-ons you find with a budget airline.

Each passenger is allowed two pieces of luggage plus one piece of hand luggage. Eurostar Premier allows a third piece of luggage too.

I found the journey, 2 hours and 15 minutes long, less stressful than flying.

A flight between London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. But there's a further commute to the airports than to the train stations, plus a longer wait at security, not to mention the lack of a chance to take in views of the English and French scenery.

Going under the Channel Tunnel is entertaining too.

On the one hand, it's just like a regular tunnel, albeit 31 miles long. However, the Channel Tunnel is a remarkable feat of engineering.

It took six years before it opened in 1994, with boring machines starting from either side, meeting underneath the sea.

I arrived just over an hour before departure, and found checking in to be smooth and efficient.

I last took the Eurostar from London St. Pancras station almost exactly two years earlier, for the previous Paris Air Show. Back then, the lines were enormous and snaked through the concourse, but this time I barely had to queue.

Unlike the French side, I didn't have to remove my laptop from my bag, which made security quicker. Neither station requires you to remove liquids, like most airports.

Boarding began after a short wait, and I was impressed to see a staff member guarding a velvet rope by the Eurostar Plus car at the back of the train.

He checked off my name on an iPad, directed me toward my seat, and the nearest luggage rack — a small touch of luxury which elevated the experience.

For me, the biggest highlight was the seat itself.

The Eurostar Plus car is arranged in a 1-2 layout rather than the usual 2-2. Since I was traveling by myself, this was ideal as it gave me much more space and privacy than usual.

Unlike most airlines, you don't need to pay extra to choose your seat.

However, many of them have a limited window view, so it helps to book well in advance.

There were plenty of accessories that added to the comfort, too.

On the left, you can see a flip-down cup holder and a small light. There was another reading light to my left by the window, two seatback pockets, and a small mirror at the top.

Plus, there was more legroom and the ability to recline.

The seat reclined within its shell, which meant I didn't have to worry about irritating the passenger behind me.

However, I found the meal to be underwhelming.

Two staff members came down the aisle with a trolley, with a vegetarian or a meat option. I went for the chicken with chickpeas, peppers, and broccoli.

Dessert was a small popcorn and chocolate affair, and I found the chocolate was almost too rich.

I would've preferred a hot meal, like what's available in Eurostar Premier. Also, I was a bit surprised that I was only given a 150ml (5 fl oz) can of Coca-Cola.

I didn't have huge expectations, but the service wasn't as good as premium economy on a flight.

Still, it was a benefit that I didn't have to get up from my seat. Although I did miss the fun experience of walking to and ordering from the onboard café.

Shortly after, everyone was offered tea or coffee, and the service ended less than an hour after departure.

From then on, I enjoyed the comforts of my seat, reclining and taking in the views of the French countryside.

The benefits of Eurostar Plus became clearer on my return journey in the standard class.

My economy seat still had a footrest, but it was harder to use, with less space and no recline.

Having somebody sit next to me also felt a bit claustrophobic, especially on a hot summer day where temperatures exceeded 90 degrees.

The table was also a bit smaller, but I was still able to relax better on the train than on a plane.

I bought a soda in the waiting area before boarding. After a busy week of work, I spent most of the journey back to London reading a novel.

Overall, I'd always recommend the Eurostar over a plane, and to keep your eye out for a cheap upgrade.

If there's a conveniently timed train where Eurostar Plus is just a few extra bucks, it's worth booking it, especially if you're on your own. The free meal may also mean you save a bit of money.

Although if I were traveling in a couple or as a family, I think the benefits of space would feel less valuable.

As well as Paris, you can also take the Eurostar from London to Brussels and Amsterdam.