Wave our national symbol today; it"s Flag Day! On June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress, the nation"s first official flag was approved. Throughout US history, the flag"s design has changed. In its current arrangement, the 13 stripes represent the original colonies, and the stars stand for the states. The flag was last modified in 1960 when Hawaii became a state, and the number of white stars on a blue background increased from 49 to 50.