Continental Congress establishes United States flag design

Antiques & Collecting
A framed antique American flag features 13 stars, just like the original design approved by the Continental Congress.Photo Credit: Morphy Auctions (c) 2026 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
A framed antique American flag features 13 stars, just like the original design approved by the Continental Congress.Photo Credit: Morphy Auctions (c) 2026 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

The Continental Congress established the design of the United States flag on June 14, 1776. There are several stories about the first Flag Day celebration, such as that it was in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1861, or that a New York kindergarten teacher celebrated it with his class in 1889, but it is generally agreed that the holiday was observed on June 14 in individual states by the late 1800s. It …