Flag Day was established in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate America’s adoption of the Stars and Stripes by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and to promote patriotism and respect for the flag. First proposed in 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter that started the Civil War, the effort was championed by Wisconsin school teacher Bernard Cigrand, who traveled around the country for 30 years and delivered nearly 2,200 speeches advocating for the holiday, eventually becoming president of the American Flag Day Association and the National Flag Day Society. On August 3, 1949, National Flag Day was officially established by an Act of Congress, and is celebrated on June 14th.

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