Old Glory has shown up in some unexpected places around the world
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The moon
Six American flags were planted on the moon during the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s. After a decades-long debate over whether those flags were still standing, NASA answered the question in 2012. The verdict? All but one are still flying high. But here’s a fascinating fact: They don’t look like American flags anymore. The nylon fabric has been bleached white from years of UV radiation and unfiltered sunlight on the lunar surface.
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Royal wedding souvenirs
The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle brought worldwide attention (and a ton of controversy) in the years since they wed. It also brought an avalanche of souvenirs that qualify as surprising places you’ll find the American flag, including this coffee mug sporting the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes.
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Miami Beach lifeguard hut
Miami Beach is famous for sizzling temperatures, glitzy boutiques, Art Deco architecture and dozens of old-style lifeguard huts that stand sentry along the sand. This handsome hut is one of the surprising places you’ll find the American flag—we wonder who the artist is! If you find yourself in Miami Beach around the 4th of July, stop by this cute building dressed up like Old Glory and get a photo during your summer holidays.
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Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Arguably the most iconic of all sneakers, Chuck Taylors have been an American staple since the 1920s. Today, they come in a bazillion styles, but none is as worthy of the All-Star patch as these red, white and blue beauties. They are perfect for kicking around on Memorial Day and July 4th, or anytime you want to show your country’s colors.
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China
Chinese factories definitely qualify as surprising places you’ll find the American flag. The vast majority of American flags, around 94%, are “Made in the U.S.A.,” as the old saying goes. But of the Old Glories that are imported, most come from China. In 2024, former President Joe Biden signed into law the All-American Flag Act, requiring the U.S. government to buy flags manufactured stateside.
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The South Pole
Americans have occupied the South Pole continuously since 1956, when the U.S. Navy built the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station right next to the geographic South Pole at the southernmost place on Earth. So this isn’t one of the most surprising places you’ll find the American flag, but it’s certainly the most remote.
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Pies
What’s more American than apple pie? This berry-and-fruit pie arranged like the Stars and Stripes! Flag etiquette frowns on wearing the American flag, but we think a pie passes muster. From sea to shining sea, creative bakers serve up delectable desserts every year around the 4th of July with a patriotic tricolor motif.
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Mount Everest
About 4,000 people have climbed Mount Everest since Sir Edmund Hillary first reached the summit in 1953. It wasn’t until a decade later, in the spring of 1963, that the first American reached the top of the world’s highest mountain and planted an American flag. A few months later, President Kennedy presented that climber, Jim Whittaker, and the rest of his team with the National Geographic Society’s highest award, the Hubbard Medal.
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Barns
Nothing evokes quintessential Americana like a farm with a classic red barn. This weathered beauty in rural Spokane County, Washington, shows off its patriotism with a painted American flag and the words “In God We Trust. Life. Liberty.”
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A wee Scottish isle
This definitely qualifies as one of the most surprising places you’ll find the American flag … until you know the backstory. The tiny Scottish isle of Islay played a huge yet little-known role in American war history. In February 1918, the USS Tuscania was hit by a German torpedo off Islay’s shores, and islanders waded into the icy water and pulled 132 injured crewmen and more than 180 dead to shore.
Determined to bury the fallen with honor, a group of island women crafted an American flag using an encyclopedia as a guide. Months later, the islanders sent the flag to President Woodrow Wilson with the request that it be placed in a museum. In 2018, a century after the disaster, the Smithsonian Institution returned the century-old flag to Islay with our nation’s gratitude.
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John Daly’s pants
Pro golfer John Daly has long been known for his driving distance off the tee, colorful personal life and bold fashion sense. In particular, Daly has proudly shown off his collection of wildly patterned slacks at various golf tournaments. His American flag pants are a crowd favorite.
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Construction cranes
Next time you pass a big construction site, look up. There just may be an American flag flying from a large crane boom looming above. Often, a crane operator will hoist a flag on the boom so he or she will know what direction the wind is blowing as a safety measure (cranes sway a lot on gusty days).
FAQs
Where is the oldest U.S. flag located?
The oldest U.S. flag is the Bedford Flag, which can be found at the Bedford Free Public Library in Bedford, Massachusetts. The flag is believed to have originated in the 1700s, and was used during the American Revolution.
What country has a flag like America?
The flags of Liberia, Cuba and Malaysia look similar to the American flag, thanks to their use of red, white and blue, as well as a striped pattern.
What is the rarest American flag?
Among the rarest American flags is a 13-star flag made during the Civil War. What makes it stand out, aside from its age? The stars are arranged in such a way that they form a six-pointed star.
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Sources:
- NASA: “Six Flags on the Moon: What is Their Current Condition?”
- Spectrum News 1: “American flags: The battle to keep them made in the USA”
- New York Post: “Congress passes proposal requiring all American flags bought by the feds to be made in the USA”
- U.S. National Science Foundation: “NSF Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station”
- Jim Whittaker: “Home”
- Smithsonian Magazine: “A Hundred-Year-Old Handmade American Flag Flies Home … to Scotland”
- Bedford Library: “Bedford Flag”
- World Atlas: “Flags That Resemble the US Flag”
- Town & Country: “These American Flags Are So Rare They Cost More Than a House”
