History Lessons

Two state flags were slow in coming

A woman poses before the Colorado flag during the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. (New York Public Library)

On August 1, 1876, as the U.S. was marking the centenary of the Declaration of Independence, another U.S. – U.S. Grant, that is – was busy at his desk, putting the final touches on a document that would certify Colorado’s entry into the Union.   “I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States of… continue

History Lessons

Philly flag flies and flaps

Philadelphia's city flag

When members of the Democratic Party gather in the City of Brotherly Love for their quadrennial convention to nominate a presidential candidate, they will see American flags all around the venue. Those with sharp eyes might also spot Philadelphia’s city flag. The banner was conceived in 1894 by a learned expert with eclectic interests that… continue

Flag Information

The Flags of the Olympics

Olympic flag

It’s almost time for the Olympic Games. Almost two hundred countries are coming together to compete in the games, and the Olympics are one of the only times that you can see all of their country flags in one place. The Olympic countries flags will fly next to the flags of the Olympics themselves, and… continue

History Lessons

City flag sparked six-decade romance

Susan Hepburn is shown as a teen and an adult in this 1941 illustration. (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Republicans and Democrats will soon gather for their national political conventions in Cleveland, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, respectively. There are sure to be plenty of American flags and lots of red-white-and-blue bunting on display. But what about the flags of the municipalities welcoming the delegates? In one case, a city flag actually kindled a romance… continue

History Lessons

Sitting atop the world…on a flagpole

Circa 1920, a man named Edward Flagg shows his love for the American flag by hugging a flagpole. (Library of Congress)

We all know that flags fly from flagpoles. But, in the 1920s, flagpoles often came with something else attached: human beings! How the Roaring Twenties’ fad of flagpole sitting began is lost to history, but many men, women and children called attention to themselves by climbing up poles and sitting there. And sometimes standing on… continue