Sunday, June 15, 2008
Two Things Challenge: Flagpole
The second part of this week's Two Things Challenge is Flagpole. What better place for a picture of flagpoles than the Washington Monument? This monument to
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Two Things Challenge: Flagpole
The second part of this week's Two Things Challenge is Flagpole. What better place for a picture of flagpoles than the Washington Monument? This monument to America's first president, George Washington, is surrounded by 50 flags--one for each state in the Union. They are one of the few sets of flags that fly 24/7/365 in Washington.
Coincidentally, yesterday happened to be Flag Day in the U.S. June 14, 1777 is the day the Continental Congress adopted the flag of the United States. At the time, it had a field of blue with 13 stars in a circle representing the 13 original colonies and 13 alternating stripes of red and white. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation making June 14th Flag Day and in 1949 National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Unlike other holidays in the U.S., however, Flag Day is not an official federal holiday unless the sitting president declares it such. Only Pennsylvania observes it as a state holiday.
Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08