stars and stripes

[andy hell]

does any one know why there are 52 stars and 13 stripes on a american flag

[Celtigra3]

I think the 52 stars are the states and the stripes represent the original 13 colonies.

[buggernuts]

There are 50 stars on the American flag. The stars represent the number of states, and the stripes the original 13 states in the Union. At one time in the fairly recent past, there were 48 stars, then they increased to 49 with the addition of either Hawaii or Alaska (I can't remember which) & this was then increased to the present total of 50 when the other one became a state.

[Clayhead]

Alaska was the 49th and Hawaii the 50th, which led to the TV programme Hawaii-50.

[Bohne]

Thanks **********...

After the first two postings I started to wonder (and worry...)

[Kingaroo]

Alaska and Hawaii became states the same year, though, I think -- or at any rate so close in time that there weren't really any 49-star flags made.

[Kingaroo]

No wait, I lied. There was an official 49-star flag for a year. But still, I bet they are rare collectors items.

[Narolines]

Wasn't Hawaii actually annexed, and only became a de facto "state" by virtue of the Pacific fleet being pretty well impossible to dislodge? Or is that just propaganda fed to me by a Hawaiian minibus driver?