On what date was Tuvalu's current national flag readopted?

Tuvalu’s current national flag was readopted on 11 April 1997. That date marked the restoration of the earlier blue ensign design after a short-lived replacement flag proved unpopular.

Tuvalu first adopted its national flag when it became independent from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony on 1 October 1978. The flag used a light-blue field, the Union Jack in the canton, and yellow stars representing the country’s nine islands. The stars are arranged geographically, with their orientation corresponding to the islands’ positions.

In 1995, one star was removed to reflect the name Tuvalu, often translated as “eight together.” A new, non-Union Jack-based flag followed in January 1996, but many residents disliked it. The redesign was viewed by some as symbolically connected with a possible move away from the monarchy, and it was not widely accepted.

The earlier flag was therefore restored in 1997, with all nine stars. The date in the quiz is not the original adoption date of 1 October 1978; it is the date of the flag’s readoption after the 1995–1997 interruption.