Today – June 14 is Flag Day!

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress approved the design of a national flag.

Since 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14, Americans have commemorated the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by celebrating June 14 as Flag Day. Prior to 1916, many localities and a few states had been celebrating the day for years. Congressional legislation designating that date as the national Flag Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949; the legislation also  called upon the president to issue a flag day proclamation every year.

From President Obama’s 2012 Flag Day Proclamation:

As we reflect on our heritage, let us remember that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and 13 stripes.  In red, white, and blue, we see the spirit of a Nation, the resilience of our Union, and the promise of a future forged in common purpose and dedication to the principles that have always kept America strong.

Read the full proclamation here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/11/presidential-proclamation-flag-day-and-national-flag-week-2012.

For information about the American flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States