Flag Day June 14th –


What is “Flag Day?” Why do we celebrate it?

Flag Day is a celebration of the American flag that occurs every year on June 14, in remembrance of when our country’s first American flag was introduced by the Continental Congress as the official American flag on June 14, 1777.

The Continental Congress introduced the American flag in the middle of the Revolutionary War at a time when each colony or special interest had its own flag. The Declaration of Independence made the introduction of a universal American flag necessary.

Congress made a resolution on June 14, 1777, outlining the purpose for a united American flag for the 13 colonies: “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white on a blue field …”
 
In 1885, a school teacher by the name of Bernard J. Cigrand encouraged his students to reflect on the symbolism behind the American flag.
 
Eventually, he came up with a proposal to establish an annual observance for the nation’s flag and penned an article called the “Fourteenth of June” in the Chicago Argus newspaper. To this day, he is regarded as the “Father of Flag Day.”
 

Since then, there have been 27 different versions of the American flag. Stars have been added to the American flag as states joined the Union. The flag in its current state dates back to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii was officially recognized as the 50th state on the American flag.

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