June 14 2023

Flag Day

American flags on Boston CommonAmerican flags on Boston Common

American flags on Boston Common
June 14 is the birthday of the U.S. flag, an important symbol of the United States. About 20,000 U.S. flags were displayed on Boston Common on Memorial Day.

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the “Stars and Stripes” as the United States flag. The flag had 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars on a blue background. These stood for the original 13 colonies. Since then, stars have been added to the flag with each new state. Today, the flag has 50 stars. It still has 13 stripes in honor of the original colonies.

Since the late 1800s, teachers and children had been celebrating the United States flag’s birthday every June 14. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman declared June 14 to be National Flag Day.

Many communities have parades on Flag Day. Others hold celebrations where people recite the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the national anthem. These community events show people’s patriotism and pride in the country’s symbol. If schools are in session, students may assemble to say the Pledge of Allegiance and wave flags.

Image credit: ©Joseph Sohm/Corbis
 
Question 1
In which year was the “Stars and Stripes” adopted as the United States flag?





 
Question 2
What do the 13 stripes stand for on the United States flag?






Rate this story:
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Loading...