by Leona Ash

Created on: June 10, 2008

It's a tradition. Every June 14th week, the Stars and Stripes are displayed on many buildings, to honor what it represents- independence and our unity as a nation. It's a day to show respect for the creators of the flag, which possesses a long procession of glorious history.

Many people have heard of the stories of Flag Day, but did you also know the following facts?

Betsy Ross, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the seamstress who sewed together the very first American flag. She was reportedly asked by George Washington, along with two members of the Continental Congress. The widow was only in her early 20s then.

June 14, 1777 was the fateful date that the Continental Congress adopted the 13 stars and stripes flag sewed by Betsy Ross.

In 1877, the first "official" Flag Day was celebrated, exactly 100 years after its official adoption by the Continental Congress.

One of the first advocate for Flag Day was a teacher from Wisconsin, named B. J. Cigrand. In 1885, he and his pupils in Fredonia observed a June 14 Flag Day on the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of the American flag. Following that, Cigrand went on to be an advocate for "Flag Day", and eventually became the American Flag Day Association president. He later became president of the National Flag Society.

In 1889, another teacher, George Balch from New York, joined in the movement to promote June 14 as Flag Day. Five years later, the Governor of New York declared the date as Flag Day in New York.

June 24, 1912 was the day that flags started to be standardized with specific proportions and the arrangement of the stars into six rows of eight each, according to an Executive Order from President Taft.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed June 14 to be Flag Day.
In 1949, the date was made even more official when the United States Congress proclaims June 14 to be the National Flag Day. President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress that designated the date.

In January 1959, President Eisenhower issued an Executive Order which stated that all the stars on the flag would be arranged in seven rows of seven stars each. In August the same year, another Executive Order was issued, this time, to arrange the stars in nine rows staggered horizontally and 11 rows staggered vertically.

Today, Flag Day is still not a national holiday in the United States, although in Pennsylvania, it is considered a State Holiday.

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