Flag Day 2021 Facts: Things To Know About US' Star-Spangled Banner

In the United States, June 14 is celebrated as Flag Day to honor the Star-Spangled Banner that represents the country. The day marks the official adoption of the stars and stripes by the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

Former President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as the day to "rededicate ourselves to the nation." He wanted Americans to mark Flag Day to leave behind "every thought that is not worthy of our fathers' first vows in independence, liberty and right" and instead "stand with united hearts, for an America which no man can corrupt, no influence draw away from its ideals, no force divide against itself."

Here are some facts to share about the American flag, compiled from the History.com and Britannica.

1. The flag the U.S. uses today is its 27th version. The final star was for Hawaii, which was the 50th state added in 1960.

2. In 1795, the flag had 15 stripes – one for each state.

3. The flag was first flown on Aug. 3, 1777, in Rome, New York.

4. Some nicknames for the American flag are "old glory," "star-spangled banner," "red, white and blue" and "stars and stripes."

5. There were six American flags deployed on the moon, five of which were still standing.

6. The flag is always flying at the White House, Fort McHenry in Baltimore and the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

7. The lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner," America's national anthem since 1931, were taken from a patriotic poem written by Francis Scott Key.

8. The American flag consists of 13 horizontal red and white stripes, each representing the 13 original colonies of the United States, and a blue rectangle in the canton with 50 white, five-pointed stars representing the 50 states of the Union.

9. The idea of celebrating Flag Day in the U.S. was presented by a Wisconsin teacher, named Bernard Cigrand, in 1885.

10. Neil Armstrong placed the first U.S. flag on the moon in July 1969 as part of the Apollo 11 mission.