Blog

June 14 marks the anniversary of a decision about the American flag, not the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On that date in 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes. The annual observance came much later. Following the story through 1777, 1916 and 1949 makes those two histories easier to separate. Flag Day at a glance June 14, 1777: Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes. 1916: President Woodrow Wilson proclaims a national observance. August 3, 1949: A joint res …

The Star-Spangled Banner has fifteen stripes because it was made under a national flag design that counted fifteen states with both stars and stripes. It is not a mistaken version of today's flag. The surviving Fort McHenry banner belongs to a period when Congress had expanded the design beyond the original thirteen stripes—and had not yet returned it to thirteen. The short answerThe fifteen-star, fifteen-stripe design took effect on May 1, 1795. Mary Pickersgill's team made the Fort McHen …

A star in a window can carry a family story without naming the person behind it. On a service banner, blue and gold are not simply decorative choices. They communicate military service and loss. Understanding that distinction helps us recognize the symbol without assuming that a family owes us an explanation. Read the symbol before choosing a banner Blue star: represents a family member serving in the Armed Forces. Gold star: commemorates a service member who died; the official design places …

A flag outside a home can mark a holiday. Knowing whom the day honors gives that display a purpose. Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize people who served in the United States military, including neighbors whose service may not be visible in everyday life. November 11 at a glance Purpose: honor all who served honorably, in wartime or peacetime. Date: November 11; local event schedules and office closures can differ. Flag display: Veterans Day itself does not call for half-staff. Check …

Two flags can be the same height and still look quite different beside each other. One may be compact; the other may extend much farther from its attached edge. The difference is proportion—the relationship between height and length—rather than simply “small” versus “large.” At a Glance Read the order before comparing a ratio. In this guide, ratios are height to length. A 2:3 rectangle is one and a half times as long as it is high; a 1:2 rectangle is twice a …