The design of the American flag came about in 1776, according to legend and the Library of Congress, when George Washington commissioned Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag for the new nation. Scholars debate this legend, but agree that Ross most likely knew Washington and sewed flags. To date, there have been 27 official versions of the flag, but the arrangement of the stars varied according to the flag-makers' preferences. That is until 1912 when P{restdent Taft standardized the then-new flag's 48 stars into six rows of eight.
The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960, after Hawaii became the fiftieth state on August 21, 1959.
Shortly after the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, the nation began to mourn, and around the country Americans began to commemorate the victims and demonstrate their patriotism. Some flew the American flag from their front porches and car antennas. Others pinned it to their lapels or wore it on t-shirts. Sports teams postponed games. Celebrities organized benefit concerts and performances. People attended impromptu candlelight vigils and participated in moments of silence. They gathered in common places, like Chicago's Daley Plaza, Honolulu's Waikiki Beach and especially New York City's Union Square Park, to post tributes to the dead and to share their grief with others. "I don't know why I've been coming here, except that I'm confused" one young man in Union Square told a reporter from The New York Times. "Also a sense of unity. We all feel differently about what to do in response, but everybody seems to agree that we've got to be together no matter what happens. So you get a little bit of hope in togetherness."
I was one of those people that began to wear the American Flag on my person. I live and work in New York City. On September 12th, 2011, the day after the attacks, I got up early as I usually do for a run (I am also a marathon runner and the NYC Marathon was less that 2 months away). That morning, as I did every morning, I wore a bandana on my head. This time, however, I wore one that was made in the design of an American Flag. I didn't intend on wearing this one, but later was glad I did. Running through the streets of Manhattan which are usually pretty empty at 5:00 am, they were exceptionally quiet this morning. But, I was not alone. Behind me, I heard someone yell, "Go USA!" It was a man riding on the back of a garbage truck. That moment, when I realize that I was wearing a flag bandana, it began a sense of healing for me to remember friends and strangers alike who had fallen on that terrible day. Living in NYC, I became a volunteer at the site, would report to the World Trade Center several times a week after work to aid in the rescue and then the recovery efforts. Every year at the anniversary of the attacks, I remember the fallen, and join with the friends I made who were also responders to the site. And, I still wear the bandana when I run.
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