Flag of United States
the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner
Thirteen horizontal stripes of red and white, with a dark blue rectangle in the top left corner holding 50 small white stars in nine rows.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 4, 1960the 50-star version, after Hawaii became a state; the first Stars and Stripes was approved on 14 June 1777
- Shape (height : width)
- 10:19
- Capital
- Washington
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- red
- white
- dark blue
What it means
- 13 stripes: the 13 original colonies
- 50 stars: the 50 states, one star for each
- White: purity and innocence, as explained by Charles Thomson for the Great Seal in 1782
- Red: hardiness and valour
- Blue: vigilance, perseverance and justice; the colours had no official meaning in 1777, but these are widely accepted
Where it came from
On 14 June 1777 the Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution: thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on blue, for the thirteen colonies that had declared independence. Francis Hopkinson is often named as the designer.
The famous story that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag is a legend: it was first told by her grandson in 1870, and no records support it.
History
Each time new states joined the union, stars were added. The design has been officially changed 26 times, so today's flag is the 27th version. The 50-star flag became official on 4 July 1960, after Hawaii became the 50th state.
A popular story says a high school student, Robert Heft, designed the 50-star layout for a school project, but no official record supports it.
Fun facts
- Six Apollo missions planted a US flag on the Moon; the flag at the Apollo 11 site was blown over by the rocket exhaust when the astronauts left.
- Americans celebrate Flag Day every 14 June, the day the first flag was approved in 1777.
- Today's flag is the 27th version.
- The official shape is 10 by 19, longer than most flags.
Easy to mix up with
Liberia
MalaysiaQuestions
What does the flag of United States look like?
Thirteen horizontal stripes of red and white, with a dark blue rectangle in the top left corner holding 50 small white stars in nine rows.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of United States mean?
13 stripes: the 13 original colonies; 50 stars: the 50 states, one star for each; White: purity and innocence, as explained by Charles Thomson for the Great Seal in 1782; Red: hardiness and valour; Blue: vigilance, perseverance and justice; the colours had no official meaning in 1777, but these are widely accepted.
When was the flag of United States adopted?
The current flag of United States was adopted on July 4, 1960. (the 50-star version, after Hawaii became a state; the first Stars and Stripes was approved on 14 June 1777)
What colours are on the flag of United States?
The flag of United States uses red, white and dark blue.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of United States?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Liberia. Liberia has 11 red and white stripes and a blue corner with just one big white star
Famous landmarks in United States
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)