Today is Flag Day, a day set aside to commemorate the Stars and Stripes and all that it symbolizes.
It
was on this day in 1777 that the Second Continental Congress approved the
design of a national flag for our newly-formed nation, declaring “that the flag
of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white,
with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new
constellation.”
The
idea for a Flag Day holiday reportedly originated with a Wisconsin schoolteacher
who wanted his students to recognize the importance of June 14 and the
flag. Although President Woodrow Wilson
marked the anniversary in 1916, it wasn’t until August 3, 1949 that President
Harry Truman officially declared June 14 as Flag Day.
The
original American flag has undergone several redesigns over the years to
reflect our nation’s expansion, with the current version adopted in 1960 after
Hawaii was recognized as our 50th state. Despite these changes, the American flag
remains a symbol of hope for the rest of the world, and a visible reminder of
the principles of freedom and democracy on which this great nation was founded.
Happy
Flag Day!
