Today, June 14, is Flag Day, a time set aside to honor the Stars and Stripes and the role the flag has played in American history.
The date of the commemoration is significant. June 14 is observed as Flag Day each year because, on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes for the flag of the U.S. The first national observance of the day took place on June 14, 1877, 100 years after the original resolution.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation for the national observance of Flag Day on the 14th of June. President Harry Truman made the holiday permanent in 1949.Flag history
The Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia adopted a resolution on June 14, 1777, declaring:“
Resolved, that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.”
The most well-known flag maker in Colonial America was Betsy Ross, though the federal history of the banner cites that it was made by others as well.
The American flag changed to add more stars as more states joined the union. The final stars added were the 49th with Alaska in 1959 and Hawaii as the 50th star in 1960. Ultimately, however, it was decided to leave 13 stripes to represent the 13 original colonies.
Source: Flag Day 2021: Why is June 14 Flag Day? Stars and Stripes history, flag etiquette – al.com
