Flag Day2026 · Date · History
36 U.S.C. §110 states that June 14 is Flag Day and requests an annual presidential proclamation encouraging observance of the anniversary of the Continental Congress’s adoption of the Stars and Stripes.
About Flag Day
Flag Day is a United States patriotic observance held on June 14. Current federal law, 36 U.S.C. §110, designates June 14 as Flag Day and requests an annual presidential proclamation encouraging observance.
The date commemorates the Continental Congress’s adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. flag on June 14, 1777.
Why Flag Day matters
Flag Day focuses on the national flag and the history attached to its adoption and use.
The statutory designation should not be confused with a federal holiday that automatically closes federal offices; the cited law establishes an observance and proclamation framework.
History of Flag Day
Flag Day developed through local advocacy and observances before federal recognition. National Archives material highlights schoolteacher Bernard J. Cigrand as an important early advocate while also documenting a broader movement.
President Woodrow Wilson issued a national Flag Day proclamation in 1916.
An Act of August 3, 1949 provided the statutory June 14 Flag Day designation; that lineage is preserved in the source notes to current 36 U.S.C. §110.
The current code requests a presidential proclamation each year and explicitly ties June 14 to the Continental Congress action of June 14, 1777.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
National Flag Day proclamation
President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a national Flag Day observance before Congress enacted the statutory June 14 designation in 1949.
United States Congress
Act of August 3, 1949, ch. 385, 63 Stat. 492, now reflected in 36 U.S.C. §110
Annual presidential proclamation framework under 36 U.S.C. §110
The statute requests the President to issue a proclamation each year calling for government flag display and public observance.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
How to Observe Flag Day
Learn about the development and historical uses of the U.S. flag from archival sources.
Display the flag in accordance with applicable flag etiquette if you choose to participate.
Use museums, archives and primary documents to explore how flag design and symbolism changed over time.
Distinguish Flag Day’s statutory observance status from federal employee holiday/closure rules.
Flag Day Facts
Flag Day is June 14 in the United States.
36 U.S.C. §110 is the current federal statutory provision for Flag Day.
The statute requests an annual presidential proclamation for the observance.
June 14 marks the anniversary of the Continental Congress’s 1777 adoption of the Stars and Stripes.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel — 36 U.S.C. §110 (opens in a new tab)
Federal Statute
National Archives — The Father of Flag Day (opens in a new tab)
Federal Archive History
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Flag Day?
14 June The documented recurrence rule is: 14 June.
Does Flag Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Flag Day an official public holiday?
Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as United States / statutory patriotic observance. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Flag Day?
The reviewed sources identify United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Annual presidential proclamation framework under 36 U.S.C. §110.
Is Flag Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / statutory patriotic observance.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-01.
When is Flag Day in the United States?
Flag Day is June 14.
What law designates Flag Day?
Current federal law is 36 U.S.C. §110, which designates June 14 as Flag Day and requests an annual presidential proclamation.
Why is Flag Day on June 14?
The statute identifies June 14 as the anniversary of the Continental Congress’s adoption of the Stars and Stripes on June 14, 1777.
Is Flag Day a federal day off?
The cited statute establishes a patriotic observance and proclamation framework; it does not itself make June 14 a general federal-office closure day.
Other observances on June 14
These observances are also listed on June 14, 2027.
Liberation Day
Falkland Islands National Archives states that Liberation Day has been celebrated annually as a public holiday on June 14 from 1983 onward; United Nations material records an ongoing Argent…
National New Mexico Day
National Day Calendar lists National New Mexico Day on 14 June. The U.S. Senate records New Mexico’s admission/statehood date as 6 January 1912. The two dates are deliberately kept separate…
U.S. Army Birthday
The U.S. Army’s official 2026 birthday page identifies 14 June 2026 as the Army’s 251st birthday.
World Blood Donor Day
WHA58.13