Flag Day 2018: Interesting Facts About The 'Stars And Stripes'

Flag Day in the United States is celebrated June 14 each year and was first officially declared by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. Every year, presidents issue proclamations that the week of June 14 is considered National Flag Week and Americans are urged to the stars and stripes all seven days.

The U.S. flag was first adopted by the second Continental Congress resolution June 14, 1777.

"Resolved, that the Flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation," it said.

Here are few facts about the American flag:

1. The first version of the American flag came out in 1777, which displayed 13 stripes and 13 stars and since then there have been 27 official versions of it, reported the Huffington Post.
2. There is no evidence to prove Betsy Ross designed the first American flag. The only record to support this view came from her grandson in 1870 almost 100 years after the flag debuted, reported the Culture Trip.
3. The current 50 star pattern was created by 17-year-old high school student Robert G. Heft in 1958 for a class project and was chosen by President Dwight D. Eisenhower out of 1,500 entries.
4. The idea of celebrating Flag Day in the U.S. was presented by a teacher named Bernard Cigrand in 1885 in Wisconsin but it wasn’t until 1949 that Congress passed legislation marking it as a national holiday. However, it is a national holiday only in Pennsylvania, where the flag was officially created, reported History.
5. According to the explanation given by Charles Thomson, the Secretary of Congress, in 1782, the red in the national flag stands for valor and hardiness, blue stands for justice, perseverance, and vigilance while white stands for innocence and purity.
6. According to the rules, the flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset and if displayed at night it should be illuminated. Raising the flag should be done quickly and lowering it should be done ceremoniously, reported Softschools.
7. Neil Armstrong placed the first U.S. flag on the moon in July 1969 as part of the Apollo 11 mission and since then five more flags have been planted on its surface.
8. “Old glory,” “star-spangled banner,” “red, white and blue,” and “stars and stripes” are some of the nicknames of the American flag.
9. The largest Flag Day parade is held in Troy, New York, every year which is attended by approximately 50,000 people.
10. The blue field should be in the upper left hand corner when displayed on a window or wall and the proper way to view a flag on display is by facing it with your right hand over your heart.
11. The flag code states it should not touch anything beneath it and can be destroyed, preferably by burning, only when it is no longer suitable for display.