Flag of Indiana facts for kids
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| Name | Indiana |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 or 3:5 |
| Adopted | May 11, 1917 (standardized in 1955) |
| Design | A gold torch surrounded by an outer circle of thirteen stars, an inner semi circle of five stars, and a 19th, larger, star at the top of the torch, crowned by the word 'Indiana', representing Indiana's admission to the Union as the 19th state. |
| Designed by | Paul Hadley |
The flag of Indiana is the official symbol of the state of Indiana. It was designed by Paul Hadley and first adopted on May 11, 1917. This flag was the state's very first official flag and its design has stayed mostly the same since then.
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History of the Indiana Flag
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In 1916, Indiana was celebrating its 100th birthday as a state. To mark this special event, the Indiana General Assembly decided it was time to get an official state flag.
They asked the Indiana Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution to hold a contest. The goal was to find the best design for the new state flag. To encourage people to join, the contest offered a prize of one hundred dollars to the winner. More than 200 designs were sent in. The Society looked at all of them carefully.
Finally, a design by Paul Hadley from Mooresville, Indiana, was chosen as the winner. He received the cash prize for his creative work.
On May 31, 1917, Hadley's design was officially chosen as the state's banner. The General Assembly made only one small change to his original idea. They added the word Indiana in a curved shape above the torch. Later, in 1955, a new law was passed. This law officially renamed the state banner to the state flag. It also made sure that all flags would be made with the same exact measurements.
What the Indiana Flag Means
The flag has a gold torch in the center. This torch stands for liberty (freedom) and enlightenment (knowledge and progress). The bright rays coming from the torch show how far these ideas can spread.
There are nineteen stars on the flag. These stars show that Indiana was the nineteenth state to join the United States.
- The thirteen stars in the outer circle represent the original Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States.
- The five stars in the inner half-circle stand for the next five states that joined the Union after the original thirteen.
- The one large star placed right above the torch represents Indiana itself.
In 2001, a group called the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) studied flags from different places. They looked at 72 flags from Canadian provinces, U.S. states, and U.S. territories. Indiana's flag was ranked 32nd for its design.
Rules for the Indiana Flag
There are specific rules about how the state flag should look and be used. These rules are written in a law.
The law says the flag should be a certain size, like three feet tall by two feet wide, or five feet tall by three feet wide. Other sizes are okay as long as they keep the same proportions. The main color of the flag must be blue. The nineteen stars and the flaming torch should be gold or buff (a yellowish-tan color).
The thirteen stars representing the original states are in an outer circle. Five stars are in a half-circle below the torch, inside the outer circle. The nineteenth star, which is bigger than the others, is placed above the torch's flame and stands for Indiana. The word "Indiana" is placed in a half-circle above this large star. Rays should spread out from the torch to three stars on each side of the top center star in the outer circle.
How the Indiana Flag is Used
Other laws explain how the state flag should be used. For example, all state militias and the Indiana National Guard must fly the flag. It must also always be on display at the Indiana Statehouse, which is where the state government works.
Any agency that gets money from the state government must also display the flag. This includes public schools, state universities, and state parks. In general, the Indiana flag should be treated with the same care and respect as the flag of the United States.
A fun fact: a different version of the Indiana state flag was used as the Gotham City flag in the 1989 movie Batman. You can see it in the mayor's office in the movie.
Also, the old logo for the BP-owned Amoco Corporation (which used to be Standard Oil of Indiana) had a torch. This was to remember the company's start in Indiana. Some BP gas stations still use the Amoco logo today.
Images for kids
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The Indiana state flag was part of the 1976 bicentennial postage stamp series.
See also
In Spanish: Bandera de Indiana para niños
