June 14 is Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States in 1777. Our nation"s first official flag had 13 stars and 13 red and white stripes to represent the original 13 colonies that broke from British rule. The stars were arranged on a blue background to represent a "new constellation." In 1795, two more stars and two stripes were added to reflect the entry of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. Then in 1818, Congress passed a plan to go back to 13 stripes and add only stars for new states. The current version of the flag has been in effect since 1960, after Hawaii became a state the prior year. The flags we"re looking at here are flying in New Jersey"s Liberty State Park, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
Celebrating Flag Day
Today in History
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Digging the birds
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A wheatear in Peak District National Park, England
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Aerial view of the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, Cusco, Peru
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The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
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Illuminations on the Gulf of Poets
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A crush in Lavaux
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Village of Saranac Lake, New York
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Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
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Maybe we should be looking up
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International Dark Sky Week
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Knuthöjdsmossen, a nature reserve in Sweden
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Memorial Day
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The crossroads of empires
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Denali National Park
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Thorrablot: The Icelandic midwinter festival
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Winter in the Wild West
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An island hopper s paradise
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Everybody loves World Turtle Day
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A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar
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World Water Day
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Shark Awareness Day
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St. Patricks Day
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World Parrot Day
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Up in the Highlands
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Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia
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Tegallalang terrace farms in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
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It s Coffee Day
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National Rivers Month
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Ancient theater of Epidaurus, Greece
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

