Brief History of the Arizona State Flag

Most people don’t give much thought to their state flag, but the history of the Arizona flag is actually quite interesting. Did you know that the Arizona flag was designed by a 13-year-old boy? Or that it was once illegal to fly the flag in Arizona? Read on to learn more about the history of the Arizona flag.

The original design of the Arizona flag was created by Carl T. Hayden, who would later go on to become a U.S. Senator from Arizona. Hayden was only 13 years old when he designed the flag, which featured a copper star in honor of Arizona’s status as the largest producer of copper in the country. The blue and yellow colors were chosen to represent the Union, and red and white were chosen to represent Spain, who had once controlled the area.

The first official use of the flag was on February 25, 1917, when it was flown over the state capitol building in Phoenix. However, it wasn’t until 1939 that the legislature made it the official state flag. Interestingly, it was actually illegal to fly the state flag in Arizona prior to 1939! Can you imagine getting in trouble for flying your state’s flag?

In 2001, an updated version of the flag was unveiled. The new design featured a darker shade of blue and larger stars. The shape of the copper star was also changed from seven points to five. These changes were made to make the flag more visible from a distance.

So there you have it! The history of the Arizona flag is fascinating, and now you know a little bit more about it than you did before. Do you have any favorite facts about your state’s flag? Share them in the comments below!