History Lessons

City flag sparked six-decade romance

Susan Hepburn is shown as a teen and an adult in this 1941 illustration. (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Republicans and Democrats will soon gather for their national political conventions in Cleveland, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, respectively. There are sure to be plenty of American flags and lots of red-white-and-blue bunting on display. But what about the flags of the municipalities welcoming the delegates? In one case, a city flag actually kindled a romance… continue

History Lessons

Sitting atop the world…on a flagpole

Circa 1920, a man named Edward Flagg shows his love for the American flag by hugging a flagpole. (Library of Congress)

We all know that flags fly from flagpoles. But, in the 1920s, flagpoles often came with something else attached: human beings! How the Roaring Twenties’ fad of flagpole sitting began is lost to history, but many men, women and children called attention to themselves by climbing up poles and sitting there. And sometimes standing on… continue

History Lessons

Fourth of July flag flew at sea in 1944

Front page of the Buccaneer, dated July 4, 1944.

For 240 years, the Fourth of July, which marks the debut of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, has been a special day for American flags. On that date in 1944, as World War II continued to rage, a newspaper printed aboard the USS Essex published an editorial titled “Independence Day 1944.” Read in the… continue

Flag Information

Flags save lives on beaches

Common beach flags.

With summer here, many families are hurrying to the beach. To make sure they bring everything they need, they might compose a checklist: swimming suits, picnic items and beach toys. But the most essential item is a list of beach warning flags. Around the world, beaches post flags of different colors to alert swimmers to… continue

Flag Information

The Top Party Decorations for the Fourth of July

Patriotic House

Americans have a reputation for loving their nation and their parties that stretches all over the world. A lot of people find themselves with a lot of Fourth of July party ideas, but it’s also common for those people to run out of ideas when it comes to decoration. There are a lot of different… continue