AARP Members Edition’s Patriotic Tribute: See Sam Waterston Recite the Gettysburg Address

Welcome to AARP Members Edition — your new digital destination for daily news, stories, videos, discounts and more, all free with your AARP membership. Our launch coincides with America’s 248th birthday, giving us the perfect opportunity to salute the country we call home. Plus, we want to give you a glimpse of what to expect from this exclusive section of aarp.org, designed just for members.

As part of our celebration, we hope you find inspiration in Sam Waterston’s poignant reading of the Gettysburg Address, a reminder of the meaning behind the sacrifices of our Armed Forces. Having played Lincoln on stage and TV, Waterston's powerful monologue reinforces a commitment to standing together as a country where everyone is created equal.

Across our Celebrate America page, you can explore rousing first-person essays and a gripping documentary that follows the stories of three U.S. veterans as they describe pivotal battles in which they fought.

To fuel your star-spangled celebrations, we want to help you party like it’s 1776 with red, white and blue cocktails, last-minute dollar-store decorations to add some pizzazz to your cookout, and a secret to a better barbecue rub that you can use all summer long. Then, you can wrap up the party by picking a film to watch from our list of 20 patriotic movies that celebrate the Fourth.

Finally, we pay homage to America the Beautiful by showcasing the best fireworks displays around the country and help you map out pilgrimages you can take to iconic American destinations this summer. For trivia aficionados, test your knowledge of all things America with our quizzes on the history of the Fourth of July, American landmarks and the diverse regions of our beautiful country.

Throughout AARP Members Edition, you’ll find even more features we hope you’ll love: smart guides to living well, insider entertainment news, personal finance advice, games, exclusive interviews, and enhancements to our print stories. 

Our goal is to get you the information you want, when and where you want it.​