The Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution establishing the first Stars and Stripes design on June 14, 1777.
The resolution specified thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The stripes and stars represented the thirteen states that had declared independence from Great Britain. Congress did not prescribe the stars’ arrangement, leaving early versions with varying patterns.
June 14 is now observed in the United States as Flag Day. The holiday commemorates the 1777 resolution, not the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and not the current fifty-star design.
The flag changed as new states joined the Union. Stars were added for each new state, while the thirteen stripes remained to represent the original states. The current fifty-star flag became official on July 4, 1960, after Hawaii joined the Union.