7-Eleven Is Giving Away Free Slurpees Today

Flickr via avlxyzIndependence Day may have come and gone, but there's nothing more American than sucking down a Slurpee for free.

7-Eleven is ringing in its 86th birthday by offering free Slurpees at more than 9,000 locations Thursday.

Find your local store here.

Before any Michael Bloomberg fans start picketing, it's worth noting that today's freebies are a slim 7.11 ounces––about eight times smaller than the chain's popular line of Big Gulp drinks, which max out at a gallon.

The company's also pushing its new line of sugar-free "Lite" Slurpees, which it released a year ago.

For a business that's expanded to more than 46,000 stores worldwide, 7-Eleven's roots are pretty modest. It started in the summer of 1927 with one Southland Ice Company employee peddling bread, milk and eggs on an ice dock in a Dallas.

The promotion appropriately runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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