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[Coop and Dino singing]

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Alright, everyone, time to rise and pledge allegiance to the flag… [Students stand up and pledge allegiance]

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It's possibly one of the most versatile images on the planet.

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You can fly it, wear it, heck, you can even mail it.

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But if you decide to wear it, try to avoid going the boxer route. [Man slips on banana]

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We're not quite sure if that counts as patriotism.

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Anyway.

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The flag is a symbol of unity, strength and sacrifice.

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It even has its own special day, thanks to President Harry Truman.

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He chose June 14th as Flag Day because it was on that date in 1777 that Congress passed [June 14th circled on calendar]

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a resolution declaring what the official flag of the United States would be:

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“Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white;

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that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

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But in writing this resolution, Congress wasn’t indulging its artistic side.

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They were just describing the American flag as it already existed. [Adams and Franklin stood with American flag]

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So who did design the American flag?

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Why red, white, and blue?

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And why stars and stripes instead of, oh, hashtags and swirls?

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Drum roll please….it turns out….

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…no one really knows the flag’s origin story.

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…Huh. [Tomato thrown on stage]

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That was kind of a let-down.

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Some say that it was designed by this man: New Jersey congressman – and harpsichord

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enthusiast – Francis Hopkinson.

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It's also thought that the first flag was sewn by Betsy Ross. [Betsy Ross sewing American flag]

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But even if we don't know much about the origin story of the flag, much more is known about

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the folklore surrounding the flag.

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For instance, you may have heard the flag referred to as “Old Glory.”

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That’s a nickname sea Captain William Driver gave to the huge flag that flew above his boat.

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Yep.

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Dude was so patriotic he nicknamed his flag. [William Driver on a boat]

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Not only that, the nickname soon caught on…

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… and eventually “Old Glory” came to refer to any

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American flag, regardless of age or size.

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The American flag has even inspired songs. [American flag approaches radio and dances]

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During the War of 1812, in the year of…1814…

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…huh, could've named that better…

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…lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key woke up one morning to discover that despite a

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terrible bombardment by the British all through the night… [Francis yawns as building is on fire]

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… the Fort still belonged to the Americans.

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How could he tell?

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Old Glory was still flying proudly above it.

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That inspired Key to write the poem Defense of Fort McHenry.

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The first verse of which was eventually set to music as the song, The Star-Spangled Banner.

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And in 1931 Congress resolved to make The Star-Spangled Banner America’s national

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anthem.

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… thereby paving the way for celebrities ruining the song for all of us before major [Dino and Coop singing song]

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sporting events.

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And the cool thing about the flag is it's not set in stone!

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The flag has changed over the years to represent our changing nation, getting a new star for

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each new state.

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Who knows what it might look like in the future…maybe one day, we'll be adding Mars among those stars… [American flag transforms and adds Mars to flag]

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