Happy Fourth of July! Chances are you will see the American flag at some point today during Independence Day festivities. Did you know that the story of the current flag’s design was the result of an assignment given by a history teacher?
When Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states, the US needed a new flag design, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower had people submit their ideas. A history teacher in Lancaster, OH decided this would be the perfect assignment for his class. Robert Heft, one of the students, ended up receiving a B- on his flag design. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased. The teacher told Robert that he could submit his flag to Washington D.C. and if it was chosen he would improve the grade. (I suspect the teacher assumed this would be a long shot.) Of course Robert’s flag ended up being the winning design, and his teacher kept the bargain: He received an A. I love thinking about how proud Robert must have been to be a part of history!
Have a fabulous Fourth of July!