Test Your American Flag Knowledge: Trivia Questions to Challenge You

Every country has a flag that is recognized by its citizens. Each flag contains bits and pieces that represent the country and its history.

The U.S. flag contains stars and stripes. Mostly everyone who went to school in America at one point knows that each star represents one state. Each stripe is there to honor the 13 original colonies. However, there are plenty of other facts about the flag that most people might not know off of the top of their heads.

For example, would you be able to name the person who designed the first American flag? Plenty of people know the story of Betsy Ross and the flag she designed, but there were flags flown in the United States before Ross had her famous design. This flag was named the Grand Union Flag and displayed the English flag in the top left corner with 13 stripes representing the 13 colonies that were formed in the United States. The flag flew for only two years before being changed after the Revolutionary War.

Another question many people might not know is how the current flag that flies over the United States was designed. When Hawai'i was added as a state to the union, there needed to be a new flag designed to represent each state. There were plenty of people who thought they had a brilliant idea for the current flag, but only one was chosen. For more American content, click here to read about the most amazing natural wonders in the United States.

To compile this list of American flag trivia questions, 24/7 Tempo consulted historical sources. These include History, US History, and The American Legion.

The Revolutionary War started in 1775 when the American colonies had enough of what England was putting them through. They felt like they were being unreasonably taxed and didn't believe England could properly govern them from across the Atlantic Ocean. Part of separating from England meant having to design a new flag that would replace the British flag that the people of the colonies knew. But, who designed the first flag?

While it's not certain, a woman named Margaret Manny gets the credit for designing the first American Flag. The flag was called the Grand Union Flag and only flew from 1775 from 1777, until a new design was necessary. The Grand Union Flag contained part of the British flag in the corner, and the colonies wanted to cut ties from England forever. Even though it only was the flag for two years, the Grand Union Flag likely designed by Manny was the first flag in American history.

Nearly every American knows they should never cut the American flag or destroy it in any capacity. It's a crime to do so and the punishment for doing so can be either a fine of up to $1,000, one year in prison, or both. However, there was one person who cut the flag and was celebrated for doing so. Who was this person and where did they leave the pieces at?

In 1909, an explorer named Robert Peary reached the North Pole. When he got to his destination, he placed an American flag to signify that the United States reached a place that was once considered unreachable. On his journey, he scattered pieces of another American flag on the trail he went. That was the only time in history that someone cut pieces of the American flag, and was celebrated for doing it.

The American flag needed to changed when Hawai'i was added as the 50th state to the union. There were plenty of people who had designs in mind that they thought would represent the United States. However, only one flag was chosen to become the new flag in the United States. Who designed the flag and what was their motivation?

Bob Heft was a high school student in Michigan in 1958 when the United States knew they were going to have to come up with a new flag. One of his projects in school was to come up with a new design for the flag. Heft, a history buff, was excited by the assignment. After working hard on it, he turned it in and was given a B- by his teacher for his design.

After talking with his teacher, Heft submitted it to a member of the House of Representatives in Ohio. His teacher told him if Congress chose his flag, he would get a better grade. Heft's design was chosen by Congress and has become an inspirational story for Americans everywhere.

Seemingly everything in the world has an expert who knows the field inside and out. Flags are no different. The fascinating thing about flags to some people is the representation that's displayed in each one. No two flags are the same, because no two places are the same. There are people who study each flag in history and what the meaning of them are. What do you call someone who does this for a living?

Someone who studies flags and their history for a living is a vexillologist. Studying flags and their history is important so that the negatives that have taken place in time don't happen again. For example, if someone were to incorporate aspects of Germany's flag during World War II, then they're going to likely be investigated for why they chose that design.

The 13 stripes on the American flag represent the first 13 colonies that were around when the United States was founded. The stripes help people remember the history of what it took to get the United States to be what it is in 2024. Oftentimes, society forgets about the battles that were fought and how dangerous it was to fight against England. If the war was lost, everyone would have been jailed and there's no telling what would have happened. Has the flag always had 13 stripes on it?

The flag hasn't always had 13 stripes on it. In 1795, Vermont and Kentucky were added as states to the union. The flag was designed with 15 stripes, instead of the 13 people know it as. There were also 15 stars, giving each state their own star and stripe. As more states were added, the designers realized the stripes wouldn't look good if they were cluttered and tight together so that they could all fit. Rather than try to make them fit, a star was added for each state and the design went back to having 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies.

Even though there haven't been any new states added since 1959, there's one day that's set aside for unveiling a new flag whenever it's necessary. As of 2024, there haven't been any rumblings of adding a new state in the near future, either. The most recent debate's have been California being split in half, adding Puerto Rico, and the possible addition of the U.S. Virgin Islands. If any of these were to happen, what day would the new flag be released on?

It only makes sense for a new flag to be shown to the public on July 4th, whenever there's a new design. Since July 4th, is the day that America celebrates its independence from the control of the British, the government dedicated the day to be when a celebration would take place. There's no telling when the next flag will have to be designed in the future, but keep an eye out and be ready on July 4th of whichever year to celebrate a new flag in American history.

Every year, the flag of the United States is celebrated. The flags of the past that have represented the United States also come out and get their time to shine again. It's an important day to recognize how far the United States has come as a nation since the 1700s. Annually, people fly their flags loudly and proudly on this specific day. When is flag day in the United States?

Each year, on June 14th, Americans around the country take time to bring out their flags and celebrate the history of flags in the United States. It's also a great time to think back on people like Betsy Ross and Margaret Manny for their contributions to the current flag in the United States. Without their original ideas, there's no telling what the flag of the United States would look like in 2024.

There are plenty of times when the United States flag is flown at half-staff. Usually, there was a tragic event that took place in recent days. If someone high ranking in the government dies, many flags will fly at half-staff to honor them and their service to the United States. However, there are often-times laws passed that not everyone agrees with. One way some people want to protest is by flying their flag at half-staff. Is this legal to do, or does a high-ranking official have to authorize people flying their flags at half-staff?

As long as there's no damage physically done to the flag, citizens are allowed to fly it at half-staff whenever they want to in front of their private homes or businesses. However, if a flag is being flown at half-staff in front of a government building, that must be authorized by either the president or the governor of the state that the building is in. You also cannot fly a flag at half-staff on public grounds unless it's been authorized by one of these people.

Whenever someone purchases an American flag, they're required to follow the Flag Code that outlines what to do and how to treat an American flag. Failure to follow these rules can result in financial penalties, and even jail time if the crime is harsh enough. One rule that people must follow is that there must be space in between the ground and the flag so that the flag stays clean whenever it's flying in the air. However, there are obviously instances when the flag touches the ground, even when every precaution is taken to ensure it doesn't. Whenever this happens, do you have to destroy the flag?

If your flag touches the ground ever, you don't have to destroy it. It's a judgement call on whether you want to keep it or destroy it, though. If the flag is still suitable to fly and represents the United States in a proper way, then you're allowed to keep it. If it doesn't represent the United States the way it should, then it's smart for you to destroy the flag and avoid using it to represent the United States. You're also required to do everything in your power to make sure the flag doesn't get dirty in the first place before you resort to destroying it. For more America content, click here to read about the best beers in the United States, according to data.