Flag Day was established on June 14 by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, but several states and local governments were already celebrating the American flag on the day. Pennsylvania was the first state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday in 1937.
Now, every year on the anniversary of its first adoption, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14.
The “Stars and Stripes” have changed over the years with the addition of new states, but the original American flag was adopted during the American Revolution. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution stating that the American flag would “be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”
The current 50-star American flag was first flown on July 4, 1960. The flag’s colors are also symbolic: red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.
Flag Dag is a great day to pick up some reading on American history. Check out some books from our catalog or ask a librarian at your local branch!
Alison Robles is a part-time page at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She is pursuing a Masters in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.