The Continental Congress adopted the first 13-star United States flag on June 14, 1777.
The Flag Resolution directed that the flag have 13 alternating red and white stripes and a blue union containing 13 white stars. The stars represented the 13 states, described in the resolution as a new constellation.
The resolution did not specify the stars’ arrangement, their number of points, or every detail of the flag’s construction. Early makers therefore produced several designs, including circular and row arrangements. The popular Betsy Ross story is traditional, but historians have found no conclusive proof that Ross made the first official flag.
June 14 is observed annually as Flag Day in the United States. The current flag has 50 stars for the 50 states, while it retains 13 stripes for the original colonies.