Congress adopted the first official United States flag on June 14, 1777.
The Continental Congress passed a short Flag Resolution stating that the flag should have 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars on a blue field. The stars represented a “new constellation,” while the stripes represented the united states formed from the former colonies.
The resolution did not specify the stars' arrangement, their exact shape, or the flag's precise proportions. As a result, early flags varied in appearance even while following the basic congressional description. The familiar circle of stars is associated with the Betsy Ross flag, but historians do not consider the traditional Betsy Ross design story firmly established.
June 14 is now observed as Flag Day in the United States. It is distinct from July 4, which commemorates the Declaration of Independence, and from September 17, Constitution Day.