[Peter Ansoff]

On Saturday, June 14th, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the resolution that officially gave birth to our flag:

"Resolved that the Flag of the united states be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation."

Actually, many people at the time did not consider it to be a new flag at all, but only a modification of the "Continental Colors" that had been in use since December 1775. Dr. Ezra Stiles, who was later president of Yale University, commented in his diary on July 10, 1777 that “the Congress have substituted a new constellation of stars instead of the Union in the Continental Colours.” In any case, the "new constellation" has now been an inseparable part of our American identity for two hundred and thirty years.

We have another flag milestone coming up next month. Of all the different variations of the US flag, the longest-lived was the 48 star flag, which was official from 1912 to 1959 (47 years). On July 4th 2007, the 50 star flag will reach the 47 year mark (1960 to 2007) and will be come the longest-lived version of the flag. (That is, unless we admit another state between now and July 4th!)

Peter Ansoff

The BEST!!!

[Peter Ansoff]

On July 4th 2007, the 50 star flag will reach the 47 year mark (1960 to 2007) and will be come the longest-lived version of the flag.

It's interesting how your personal experience affects your perception of historical time. When the 49th star was added to the flag in 1959, the 48-star flag had existed since 1912. 1912 was year the Titanic sank. The interval included the Depression, two World Wars, the Korean war, the opening events of the Cold War, and the first stirrings of the space program.

Today, looking back, it seems amazing to me that election of President Kennedy is as far in the past now as the sinking of the Titanic was in 1959. The difference, obviously, is that I was alive in 1959-1960 and the events of those years are part of my personal memory. (Well, just barely -- I was in third grade. I do, however, remember a ceremony at school about the admission of Alaska and Hawaii. I remember that the speaker at the ceremony got it wrong, and said that Hawaii was 49th and Alaska 50th, instead of the other way around. Even then, I was a trivia buff! I don't remember if she said anything about their flags.)

Incidentally, the Alaska and Hawaii state flags are somewhat unusual in that both of them were adopted long before their states were admitted to the Union.

Peter Ansoff

[american_flag_uk]

i learnt all about the tiitanic at school but we did not cover US presidents... i indeed still have a rather patchy and basic knowledge of US presidents.
i have a little piece of history tht been given to me though - along with a story to go with it
the gift was from my good friend at the Flag Institute - whos meeting i attended in May (FI is UK vexillological group- like NAVA is to the US- and i also learnt theres another vexillological group in new engliand called NEVA)

he gave me a small silk 45 star flag roughly about 5 inches by 7 inches on a hand crafted wooden stick that has and pointy end and black stripes on it and the whole flag is printed with hemmed edges.

he saidhis relative family member had travelled to the US - to california
and had been part of a crowd of people who hasd lined the streets in order to see President Teddy Roosevelt and the flags had been handed out to everyone lining the streets.

[Peter Ansoff]

is UK vexillological group- like NAVA is to the US-

Yes -- I'm a member of FI as well. In fact, I owe them an article for the magazine . . .

theres another vexillological group in new engliand called NEVA

There are several regional vexillological groups in North America. Some others are the Great Waters Vexillological Association (GWVA) in the midwest, and the Vexillological Association of the State of Texas (VAST). Here in the Washington DC area we have the Chesapeake Bay Flag Association (CBFA), which will co-host the FIAV conference in 2011. Up in Canada there's the Canadian Flag Association (CFA).

Peter Ansoff