U.S. State Flags
Today is Flag Day, celebrated to honor the United States flag and its adoption 239 years ago. Modern state flags are a newer phenomenon, having started for use at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. It is immediately apparent that most of our flags contain the color blue – all except four do (those for New Mexico, California, Alabama and Maryland). Twenty-one states feature one or more animals on their flags, the most frequent being the eagle, followed by horses, cattle, buffalo, deer, moose, bears, pelicans, a badger and a beaver.
Montana is the only state whose flag contains words in a language other than English or Latin (Spanish). Ohio has the only non-rectangular state flag. Oregon is currently the only state with a flag whose reverse side differs from its front. Washington is the only state with the image of a president on its flag. Mississippi is the last state to feature the Confederate “Southern cross” in its banner. The original designs of nine state flags have their origins in public design contests: Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. According to a survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association in 2001, New Mexico had the best designed flag, and Georgia the worst (Georgia has since changed its flag).