Flag Day is always celebrated on June 14th and here are some fun facts about this very special day:
- During the American Revolution of 1775, most colonist fought under their own flags when the war broke out against the British. The Second Continental Congress met in June of 1775 to create the Continental Army. This led to the creation of the first American flag, the Continental Colors.
- The first flag had 13 red and white alternating stripes and a Union Jack in the corner. George Washington felt this was too similar to that of the British, so he set out to have a new flag designed.
- On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution stating that the flag should have 13 red and white alternation stripes, and that the union be 13 white stars in a blue field.
- In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that called for a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14th. Congress made the observance permanent in 1949.
- In anticipation of Alaska and Hawaii becoming states, a 17-year-old student designed the flag as it appears today. Robert Heft created the 50-star flag as part of a history project, and his teacher gave him a passing grade of B-. In 1959, Robert submitted his design to Congress and President Eisenhower selected his work over 1,500 other samples. By the way, Robert’s teacher later changed his grade to an A.
- During the opening sequence of the first-season of Gilligan’s Island, the flag can be seen flying at half-mast. This is because the show’s pilot finished filming on November 22, 1963 – when President Kennedy was assassinated.
