Flag Facts

I would venture to guess, that more U.S. flags are hoisted, carried and displayed on the 4^th of July than on any other day of the year.  And with good reason, it’s a symbol of the United States and the birth of a country.

If you are planning to hang your American flag on the 4^th, consider getting it cleaned first.  Klinke’s Cleaners is offering free flag cleaning to celebrate the nation’s birth.  Here are a few other fun facts to tell your friends at your holiday picnic, while waiting for the parade to pass or watching fireworks.

Has the U.S. Flag always had 13 stripes?  Nope!

When Vermont and Kentucky—states 14 and 15—joined the union, a new version of the flag was created that had 15 stars and 15 stripes. As the U.S. continued to grow, there was concern about having to continually add additional stripes. The solution: revert to 13 to represent the original 13 colonies, and let the stars do the heavy lifting.

Who created to 50-star pattern on the flag?

When Alaska and Hawaii were welcomed as the last two states to join the Union, President Eisenhower received thousands of ideas for an updated flag. Most of them were for a flag with 50-stars, including one from Robert G. Heft, a 17-year-old student at Lancaster (Ohio) High School.  Heft created the design for a class project. He was one of three to submit the version that was accepted and remains in use today.
Robert got a B- on his project.

Current design has lasted the longest – 50 years!.

In contrast, over a 50-year period in the early 1800s, the flag went through 17 different versions.
Happy 4^th of July!