The American flag hasn’t always featured the same design. Since its creation in the 18th century, it’s gone through numerous changes. Each additional state, for instance, resulted in a new star added to the American flag. The current American flag, of course, features 13 stripes and 50 stars, the latter of which represents the Country’s 50 states. While you might be familiar with this design, there are probably some things you didn’t know about the current American flag.
#1) Longest-Running Design
The current American flag features the longest-running design. It was officially adopted on July 4, 1960. Prior to this design, the American flag featured 49 stars. The addition of Hawaii as a state prompted a new design consisting of 50 stars. Since then, the American flag hasn’t been modified. It still uses the same 50-star design that was adopted in 1960, making it the longest-running design.
#2) Same Number of Stripes as the First American Flag
The current American flag features the same number of stripes as the first American flag. The first American flag, of course, didn’t have stars. Instead, it had the King’s Colors displayed in the upper-left corner. It still featured 13 stripes, each of which represented one of the original 13 colonies. Throughout the history of the American flag, these stripes have remained unchanged. The current American flag still features 13 stripes in the same red-and-white colors as the first American flag.
#3) Designed By a High School Student
You might be surprised to learn that the current American flag wasn’t professionally designed. Rather, it was designed by a high school student. While attending high school in Lancaster, Ohio, during the 1950s, Robert Heft submitted a design for a new American flag. After reviewing the submissions, President Eisenhower selected Heft’s design to become the new American flag.
#4) Has a Dedicated Holiday
There’s a national holiday that’s dedicated to the American flag. Known as Flag Day, it’s held annually on June 14. Flag Day is intended to honor and commemorate the American flag. You can display the American flag on any day of the year. Nonetheless, it’s particularly important to display the American flag on this national holiday.
#5) Design May Not Last Forever
There’s no guarantee that the current American flag’s design will last forever. If a new state is added to the United States, the design will likely change. Washington, D.C., for instance, has been identified as a potential candidate. The American flag’s stars symbolize the country’s states. Whether Washington D.C. or any other territory is added as a state, a new star must be added to the American flag’s design.
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