Today's Flag Day: Some History and Facts

As most of you know, today, June 14, is Flag Day. 

And in honor of the special day, let's take a closer look at the history of the Stars and Stripes, just in case you were curious. 

Historical Flag Facts

1. Flag Day most likely started June 14, 1885, according to USFlag.org, when B.J. Cigrand, a teacher in Wisconsin, arranged for his students to celebrate the "Flag's Birthday." George Balch, a New York teacher, organized Flag Day ceremonies for his students on June 14, 1889, which was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. In 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, PA, also celebrated Flag Day on June 14, and after decades of other celebrations, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day and a national American holiday on May 30, 1916.
2. Capt. William Driver, of Salem, MA, first called the flag "Old Glory," in 1831 after he was given a 24-star version before leaving on one of his voyages.
3. The U.S flag appears backward on the right sleeve of U.S. Army uniforms because, based onArmy Regulation 670-1, "Wear and Appearances of Army Uniforms and Insignia," the full-color flag replica "is worn so that the star field faces forward, or to the flag’s own right. When worn in this manner, the flag is facing to the observer’s right, and gives the effect of the flag flying in the breeze as the wearer moves forward."
4. Our Flag, which was published in 1989 by the U.S. House of Representatives, quotes Charles Thompson, past secretary of the Continental Congress, saying the following about the flag in the "Great Seal" of the United States: "The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; white signifies purity and innocence, red, hardiness and valor, and blue, the color of the chief (the broad band above the stripes), signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice."

What About your Own Flag?

1. The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing, unless it is an ensign responding to a salute from the ship of a foreign nation.
2. The flag should never be allowed to touch the ground. It is a common myth that a flag that touches the ground or becomes soiled must be burned.
3. The common method of disposal of a tattered flag is burning. American Legion halls commonly hold flag burnings on this day.
4. The flag may be flown upside down as a signal of distress.
5. One of the most commonly ignored statutes of the Flag Code states that “the flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery. It should also not be used as advertising and should not be “embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use.”