3 Myths You Still Believe about the American Flag
Like many great stories, the history of the U.S. Flag is rife with rumors, innuendos, and calculated lies. Which means that most of the things you know about it are probably inaccurate. With that in mind, here three popular myths about Old Glory.
1. Betsy Ross Sewed it
Well, she may have. But there's no actual evidence that the famous seamstress was responsible for designing the U.S. Flag. In fact, her name was not mentioned in archival records until 1876...forty years after her death!
2. The Flag Has Always had 13 Stripes
As most of us learned in U.S. history class, the 13 stripes on the U.S. Flag represent the original 13 original colonies. But did you know that the new versions of the flag were created when Vermont and Kentucky achieved statehood? These flags had 14 and 15 stripes respectively. But when space became an issue as new states joined the union, leaders decided to let the smaller stars represent each state and returned to the 13 original stripes.
3. More Than One Flag Was Planted On the Moon
The first and most famous U.S. Flag was planted by Neil Armstrong on July 20th, 1969. But on subsequent lunar missions, astronauts planted five more!