To mark June 14, we thought it would be very appropriate to talk about the American flag and how it relates to Flag Day.

In 1916, then-President Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States, issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day.

In August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an act of Congress.

However, Flag Day is not an official federal holiday.

Flag Day also is a special day for the U.S. Army because it celebrates its birthday June 14.

The first official national flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes, was approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.

The blue canton contained 13 stars, representing the original 13 colonies, but the layout varied.

The flag was first flown from Fort Stanwix, on the site of the present city of Rome, New York, on Aug. 3, 1777. Later, it was under fire for three days in the Battle of Oriskany, Aug. 6, 1777.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new nation.

The resolution stated: “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.”

According to legend, three members of a secret committee from the Continental Congress — including George Washington — visited Betsy Ross in May 1776 to ask her to sew the first American flag.

The American flag is a symbol of freedom, liberty and human rights. It is a symbol of our home and all that we believe in.

It’s a symbol service members rally behind, whether on our shores or foreign shores. Some hold the flag as something sacred; others have a moderate reverence for it.

What does the American flag with a 76 on it mean? Typical of Revolution-era flags, the Bennington flag features 13 stars and 13 stripes to symbolize the 13 American colonies in rebellion against Great Britain.

The Bennington flag features a large “76” in the canton, recalling the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed, 1776.

Fairfield, Washington claims to have the oldest continuing annual Flag Day Parade, beginning in 1909/1910.

It all really began June 14, 1777.

— Brown County Historical Society