More than 75 years after Flag Day became U.S. law, the stars and stripes grab our gaze these days in constant portraits of how Americans see their country's promise — sometimes dotted along historic graves of military veterans, draped upside down over a protester, or painted on a barn.
Flag Day commemorates the 1777 approval of a national flag design by the Continental Congress. It was established by federal law in 1949 as June 14. Observances preceded that, including in 1891 at a Philadelphia house of Betsy Ross. But the fervor for the flag that exists today has strong roots in the Civil War, when flag bearers were regarded with particularly high honor.
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Key Felix, center, of Haiti, is greeted by his sister, carrying American flag balloons, as he arrives in Miami for his first visit to the U.S., at Miami International Airport, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A morale patch embroidered with the United States flag is seen, Friday, June 6, 2025, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tim O'Connor, back left, and his son Matthew O'Connor, work on a large United States flag at Humphrys Flag Company that will be draped outside their building for Flag Day, in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Karrie Brewer mows in front of a flag-painted barn Saturday, June 7, 2025, on the family farm near Loring, Kan. The barn was painted by her husband, Quentin Brewer, who's birthday is flag day, with 38 stars representing the number of states in the union when the barn was built in 1884. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A flag-painted barn stands in the distance beyond an old pickup truck Saturday, June 7, 2025, on the a farm owned by Quentin and Karrie Brewer near Loring, Kan. The barn was painted by Quentin, who's birthday is flag day, with 38 stars representing the number of states in the union when the barn was built in 1884. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
An American flag at Portland Head Light catches the light at sunrise, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Old headstones at Leavenworth National Cemetery are marked with U.S. flags on the eve of Memorial Day, Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Leavenworth, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Protester Annie Jones holds a U.S. Flag upside down as a sign of distress while California National Guard stand behind a barricade in Santa Ana, Calif. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo Jae C. Hong)
Anti-ICE protesters march in downtown San Antonio, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A protester holds up an American flag in front of a dumpster that was set on fire during a protest against federal immigration arrests, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
A protester stands in front of a line of law enforcement personnel at a Federal Building on Monday, June 9, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Australian golfer Jason Day, wears U.S. flag-themed shorts as he prepares to putt during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tim O'Connor works on a large United States flag at Humphrys Flag Company that will be draped outside their building for Flag Day, in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Gloria Ramos sews reinforcement into U.S. flags at Dixie Flag and Banner, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Lucy A. Rodriguez sews the stripes for a large U.S. flag at Dixie Flag and Banner, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A U.S. flag is seen on a piece of cake for attendees after a news conference near the Trans-Alaska Pipeline at the Pump Station 1 on Monday, June 2, 2025, located near Deadhorse, Alaska, on the state's prodigious North Slope. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Cornelia Bridges demonstrates how a flag is stitched together at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Cornelia Bridges secures a flag for an education program at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A painting of an American flag decorates the roof of a financial services business, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The U.S. Capitol is seen past American flags on the National Mall, Friday, June 6, 2025, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
At the Betsy Ross House, a flag bearing a circle of 13 stars for each of the colonies is flown. And at a family farm near Loring, Kansas, 38 stars are painted on the flag on its barn, the number of states when the barn was built in 1884. Those throwback versions and others are still around, but the 50-star flag is never far from view. It has been patterned on a pro golfer's shorts, colored onto the roof of a business, and brandished during confrontations at public demonstrations.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Key Felix, center, of Haiti, is greeted by his sister, carrying American flag balloons, as he arrives in Miami for his first visit to the U.S., at Miami International Airport, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A morale patch embroidered with the United States flag is seen, Friday, June 6, 2025, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tim O'Connor, back left, and his son Matthew O'Connor, work on a large United States flag at Humphrys Flag Company that will be draped outside their building for Flag Day, in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Karrie Brewer mows in front of a flag-painted barn Saturday, June 7, 2025, on the family farm near Loring, Kan. The barn was painted by her husband, Quentin Brewer, who's birthday is flag day, with 38 stars representing the number of states in the union when the barn was built in 1884. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A flag-painted barn stands in the distance beyond an old pickup truck Saturday, June 7, 2025, on the a farm owned by Quentin and Karrie Brewer near Loring, Kan. The barn was painted by Quentin, who's birthday is flag day, with 38 stars representing the number of states in the union when the barn was built in 1884. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
An American flag at Portland Head Light catches the light at sunrise, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Old headstones at Leavenworth National Cemetery are marked with U.S. flags on the eve of Memorial Day, Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Leavenworth, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Protester Annie Jones holds a U.S. Flag upside down as a sign of distress while California National Guard stand behind a barricade in Santa Ana, Calif. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo Jae C. Hong)
Anti-ICE protesters march in downtown San Antonio, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A protester holds up an American flag in front of a dumpster that was set on fire during a protest against federal immigration arrests, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
A protester stands in front of a line of law enforcement personnel at a Federal Building on Monday, June 9, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Australian golfer Jason Day, wears U.S. flag-themed shorts as he prepares to putt during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Tim O'Connor works on a large United States flag at Humphrys Flag Company that will be draped outside their building for Flag Day, in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Gloria Ramos sews reinforcement into U.S. flags at Dixie Flag and Banner, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Lucy A. Rodriguez sews the stripes for a large U.S. flag at Dixie Flag and Banner, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A U.S. flag is seen on a piece of cake for attendees after a news conference near the Trans-Alaska Pipeline at the Pump Station 1 on Monday, June 2, 2025, located near Deadhorse, Alaska, on the state's prodigious North Slope. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Cornelia Bridges demonstrates how a flag is stitched together at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Cornelia Bridges secures a flag for an education program at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A painting of an American flag decorates the roof of a financial services business, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The U.S. Capitol is seen past American flags on the National Mall, Friday, June 6, 2025, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
