FLAG DAY: The Continental Congress first approved “Stars and Stripes” as our nation’s theme 240 years ago, on June 14, 1777.

Since that time, the flag has undergone many changes over the years as the United States of America grew. But it has retained the basic elements of stars and stripes.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1912 that the arrangement of the stars on the then-48-star flag were made official by President William Howard Taft, according to the Library of Congress. Before that, flagmakers placed the stars as they pleased.

We wonder what the flag will look like if Puerto Rico becomes a state.

Puerto Ricans held an election over the weekend about statehood that revealed a majority of voters were in favor of statehood.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that statehood is forthcoming for the commonwealth of Puerto Rico — the decision to make Puerto Rico a state is ultimately up to Congress. CNN reported that Puerto Rico has voted on this same thing several times over the last 50 years, although it was only five years ago in 2012 that the popular vote was in favor of statehood.

The country hasn’t welcomed a new state since 1959 — or a new flag since 1960 — so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation in 1916 declaring June 14 national Flag Day, and Congress later voted in favor of designating the day, which was signed into law in 1949 by President Harry Truman, according to the Library of Congress.

The 1949 legislation reads, “The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation — (1) calling on United States Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on Flag Day; and (2) urging the people of the United States to observe Flag Day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777, by the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.”

Speaking of the president, Donald J. Trump is celebrating his 71st birthday today.