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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A winter wonderland in Northeast China
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India Republic Day
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Nesting season for the leatherbacks
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International Literacy Day
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A delta in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy
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Black History Month
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Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
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Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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Mooncake time
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The Brocken, Harz National Park, Germany
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Singing praises of the oceans
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Boxing Day—a shopper’s delight
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The Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland
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Happy birthday, Saguaro National Park
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A rock in a wild place
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It s Star Wars Day
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Church of Notre Dame de Bon-Port, Les Sables-dOlonne, France
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Whooper swans in Lake Kussharo, Japan
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Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
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Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, Australia
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The town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
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An impactful day
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Happy Father s Day
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A meerkat stands alone
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Bryce Canyon National Park turns 100
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Burns Night
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Birds of the Drömling
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Cranborne Chase, England
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It’s Endangered Species Day
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Falling for Tennessee
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

