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One of the American flags surrounding the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Susan Larson for Patch.
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Five facts about Flag Day and the American Flag:
- Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877, on the flag's 100th birthday.
- On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the current "Stars and Stripes" as the official U.S. flag.
- The first flag had 13 stars on a blue field and 13 alternating red and white stripes for the 13 original colonies.
- Today there are 50 stars, one for each state, and the 13 stripes remain for the original colonies.
- Tradition says Betsy Ross designed and sewed the first flag, but there is no proof of that.
The actual flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the National Anthem during the War of 1812 is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
