On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution stating that the flag of the new nation would have 13 alternate stripes of red and white and thirteen stars in a blue field. The flag was based on the "Grand Union" banner carried by the the Continenal Army in 1776. According to legend, Betsy Ross designed the circle of 13 stars on a background of blue at the request of George Washington.
As new states were added to the union, new stars and stripes were added. However, in 1818 Congress reduced the number of stripes back to the original 13, and only stars were added for new states. On June 14, 1877, the first Flag Day observance was held in honor of the 100th anniversary of the American Flag. In 1949, Congress designated Flag Day as a national day of observance.
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