How much do you know about the history of the Stars and Stripes?
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Which of the following is not a nickname for the U.S. flag?
Wrong.Right. The "Stars and Bars" refers to the first national flag of the Confederate States of America, adopted in 1861.
True or false? Betsy Ross helped design and make the first official U.S. flag.
Wrong.Right. The story of Betsy Ross' involvement in the first official U.S. flag was first told by her grandson in 1870. There is no documentary support for it.
Which of these facts concerning Francis Scott Key and "The Star-Spangled Banner" are NOT true?
Wrong.Right. Aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant, Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.
How long should flags be lowered to half staff (or half mast) when a president dies?
Wrong.Right. A flag is lowered for 30 days after the death of a president, and 10 days after the death of a vice president.
Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly (pictured at right) was famous for what activity having to do with flags?
Wrong.Right. Kelly was a stunt actor who helped kick off a flagpole-sitting fad in the late 1920s. His personal record was 49 days, set in 1929 in Atlantic City.
According to the U.S. Flag Code, the U.S. flag should never be:
Wrong.Right. U.S. Code says the flag should be "hoisted briskly," may be destroyed by burning and may be flown at night if illuminated.
If a flag touches the ground, must it be destroyed?
Wrong.Right. While the U.S. Code states that the flag should never touch anything beneath it, the flag should only be destroyed when it is "no longer a fitting emblem for display."
Which of these statements about the iconic photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima" by Joe Rosenthal is false?
Wrong.Right. A misunderstanding gave rise to the false notion that Rosenthal had posed the photo. The accusations have persisted for decades despite his vociferous denials and other clear evidence.
The current 50-star flag is the longest-unchanged version of the flag. Which version of the flag went the next-longest period of time unchanged?
Wrong.Right. The 48-star flag was used for 47 years, beginning in 1912 after Arizona and New Mexico became states.
Why does the U.S. flag raised on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin look like it is waving?
Wrong.Right. Because the astronauts couldn't fully extend the rod, the flag was left with a "rippled effect." On subsequent moon landings, crews mimicked this effect intentionally.
True or false? Flag desecration is a constitutionally-protected form of free speech.
Wrong.Right. With its 5-4 ruling in 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down flag desecration laws in 48 states in favor of free speech.
Check out our Flags of the Civil War timeline.
SOURCES: Associated Press, AFP/Getty Images, NASA, wikipedia.org, openlibrary.org, factmonster.com, historicalamericana.com, ushistory.org
Josh Renaud
Josh Renaud is a designer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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