The Second Continental Congress approved the first United States flag resolution on June 14, 1777.
The resolution specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a blue field containing thirteen white stars. It stated that the stars represented a new constellation, establishing the basic design that developed into the modern American flag.
The resolution came nearly a year after the Declaration of Independence and during the Revolutionary War. The thirteen stars and stripes represented the thirteen states that had declared independence from Great Britain.
June 14 is now observed in the United States as Flag Day. The date is sometimes confused with July 4, 1776, which is associated with the Declaration of Independence, or September 17, 1787, the date associated with signing the Constitution.