How much do you really know about the flag? Take our U.S. flag quiz and test your stars-and-stripes smarts.
Can You Pass This Tricky American Flag Quiz?
Updated on Jun. 30, 2025
The first unofficial American flag (introduced by George Washington) had what instead of stars in the upper left-hand corner?
A. A solid blue square
B. The British Union Jack
C. Washington’s profile
D. A bald eagle
Answer: B
The British Union Jack was in the upper left-hand corner of the first unofficial American flag.
An act signed in 1818 by this president called for the American flag to have 13 stripes and one star for each state.
A. James K. Polk
B. James Buchanan
C. James Madison
D. James Monroe
Answer: D
James Monroe signed the Flag Act of 1818 allowing for the American flag to have 13 stripes and one star for each state.
What iconic World War II image won its photographer the Pulitzer Prize?
A. Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by Joe Rosenthal
B. V-J Day in Times Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt
C. The Face in the Surf by Robert Capa
D. Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki by Lt. Charles Levy
Answer: A
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by Joe Rosenthal won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945.
As this 1950s TV show begins, a flag appears as the narrator touts someone’s “never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.”
A. Smallville
B. Adventures of Superman
C. Superboy
D. Metropolis
Answer: B
The Adventures of Superman.
When hung outside, the American flag should only be displayed from when to when?
A. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
B. Noon to 6 p.m.
C. Sunrise to sunset
D. Sunset to sunrise
The American flag that inspired 1814’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” had 15 stripes and 15 stars. Which two states had joined the original 13?
A. Vermont and Kentucky
B. Alabama and Maine
C. Alaska and Hawaii
D. Louisiana and Mississippi
Why is the American flag folded into a triangle?
A. To make sure no part of the flag (that is not on display) touches the ground
B. To showcase the stars, which symbolize America as a new constellation
C. To honor the battleships that have served us throughout history
D. To symbolize the tricorn hats of colonial soldiers, sailors and marines during the Revolutionary War
Answer: D
The American flag is folded into a triangle to symbolize the tricorn hats of colonial soldiers, sailors and marines during the Revolutionary War.
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Sources:
- Library of Congress: “Flag Day”
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: “The Origins of Flag Day”
- Library of Congress: “Our flag — ‘The grand union’ excerpt from a book written by Barlow Cumberland … Brookline, Mass. 1926.'”
- EBSCO: “Flag Act of 1818”
- Pulitzer.org: “Photography”
- American Legion: “United States Flag Code”
- Smithsonian: “Star-Spangled Banner”
- National Air and Space Museum: “The Meaning Behind Folding an American Flag”
Originally Published in Reminisce
