At New York City’s Carnegie Hall at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, 1919, the New York Philharmonic presented is 1,294th concert. The orchestra’s first act was to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” in honor of the American flag. The 17-year-old guest soloist, born in Poland, was Jascha Heifetz, destined to become one of the greatest… continue
George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732, right? Well, not quite. He was actually born on Feb. 11, 1731, 285 years ago. Either way, he was surrounded by all sorts of flags his entire life. The National Archives website clarifies his birth date by noting that Washington “was born in Virginia on February 11,… continue
A few years after the Civil War ended, a multi-volume opus was written. Titled “The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, 1861-’65,” it bulged with case studies, surgical breakthroughs – and some flags, one of which was a person. FLAGG One of the breakthroughs involved Corporal Eugene Flagg, a member of… continue
Black History Month in February provides the opportunity to recall events that connected Black Americans to flags. One story is horrible; the other, inspiring. LYNCHING After the end of the Civil War Flags and the emancipation of slaves, many angry Southerners avenged their defeat by persecuting Blacks, denying their rights and lynching them for supposed… continue
One hundred and fifty-five years ago, the U.S. got a new state – and a state of war. The state was Kansas, which celebrated its addition to the Union in 1861 with expressions of loyalty to the American flag and preparations to become a battleground of the North vs. the South. An iconic moment of… continue