Flag Day is a holiday celebrated on June 14 in the United States. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution stated “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
Celebrating Flag Day
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. In 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday.
Today, the national flag of the United States consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, and bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from Great Britain by their victory in the American Revolutionary War.
The current design of the U.S. flag is its 27th; the design of the flag has been modified officially 26 times since 1777. The 50-star flag was ordered by then President Eisenhower in 1959 and was adopted in 1960.
The flag has become a powerful symbol of Americanism. Our flag should never be allowed to touch the ground and should be illuminated if flown at night. The flag should be repaired or replaced if the edges become tattered through wear. Article courtesy of Wikipedia.