Today, June 14, 2025 is Flag Day in the United States. Today, we’ll look briefly at the history behind Flag Day, and then I’ll share an interesting but not-so-fun fact about it.

History:

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson had officially proclaimed June 14th as “Flag Day”, to remember when the U.S. Flag was adopted way back on June 14, 1777. This gave people another reason outside of Memorial Day and July 4th to remember our country and those who fight for our freedoms.

President Truman signed the law for the national observance for Flag Day, but two different instances stand out for the first observances of a Flag Day.

In 1885 Waubeka, Wisconsin, Bernard Cigrand – a 19 year old teacher in an old one room schoolhouse – placed a flag on his desk and had his students write essays on what the flag meant to them. He worked later as a dentist in the Chicago area, advocating for a national holiday to remember the American Flag.

In 1891, at one of Betsy Ross’ former homes, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania held its first weeklong Flag Fest, which became an annual event – a tradition that still carries on today.

Interesting Fact:

Did you know that the Flag Protection Act of 1968 made it illegal to burn or otherwise deface the U.S. Flag? To be more specific, whoever “knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year.” This was done during the Vietnam War era, where demonstrators were burning the American Flag in protest. However, 21 years later in 1989, the Supreme Court decided that burning the American Flag is part of your First Amendment Rights.

If you are an American, what does the American Flag mean to you? Take some time on this Flag Day and reflect on that – feel free to share below!

If you are not 100% sure that you’ll go to Heaven when you die, now is the time to repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or doubts about your salvation, click here to learn how you can be saved!

References:

1. A&E Television Networks. (2025, May 27). What is Flag Day?. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/what-is-flag-day
2. Flag protection acts of 1968 and 1989. The Free Speech Center. (2024, July 9). https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/flag-protection-acts-of-1968-and-1989/
3. Press, A. (2025, June 13). The reverence for Old glory that inspired Flag Day arose decades after Betsy Ross sewed her first. Hazleton Standard Speaker. https://www.standardspeaker.com/2025/06/13/flag-day-explained/