In 1960, a star was added, representing Hawaii, bringing the total number of stars on the U.S. flag to 50. There are thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.
Hawaii Revised Statutes
Section 5-19. Description of the Hawaiian flag. The official description of the Hawaiian flag as authorized to represent the State of Hawaii on land and sea, and authorized for executive state agencies, second to the stars and stripes of the United States shall be:
- The Hawaiian flag shall consist of eight horizontal stripes, alternately white, red, blue, etc., beginning at the top, having a jack cantoned in the dexter chief angle next to the point of suspension;
- The jack shall consist of a blue field charged with a compound saltire (crossing) of alternate tincture white and red, the white having precedence; a narrow edge of white borders each red side of the saltire;
- A red cross bordered with white is charged (placed) over all;
- The proportion shall be as follows:
(A) The fly (length) is twice the hoist (width);
(B) The jack is half the hoist (width) in breadth and 7-16 the fly in length;
(C) The arms of the red cross with border shall be equal in width to one of the horizontal stripes;
the white border shall be one-third the width of the red cross;
(D) The arms of the compound saltire (crossing) are equal in width to the red cross, the tinctures
white, red, and the border being in the proportion of 3, 2, 1, respectively.
Joe McMillan, 11 February 2000
There is one difference between the regulations of 8 April 1896, and those in current use. The 1896 regulations call for a fimbriation to the Cross of St George of 1/6 the cross, whereas the modern ones ask for 1/3. Both sets call for "the arms of the red cross with border to be equal in width to one of the horizontal stripes", and whilst I interpreted the original to include the border and therefore, a total width of 1/8 the flag, I (along with FOTW and the official website) now interpret it to mean that the width of the red cross only should be 1/8 and the fimbriation extra (since to include a 1/3 fimbriation in the 1/8 would make an impossibly narrow cross and saltire.
Christopher Southworth, 29 July 2003
History
Chronology:
- 1794-1816 Hawaii flew Union Jack as its National Flag
- 1816-1843 Hawaii flew early version of present flag
- 25 Feb - 31 July 1843 British occupation; all Hawaiian Flags were destroyed
- 31 July 1843 King Kamehameha III spoke his famous prayer of thanksgiving, a part of which serves today as the State Motto while a Hawaiian Flag that included a dove and olive branch was hoisted.
- 20 May 1845 present Hawaiian Flag adopted
- 1 Feb - 1 April 1893 U.S. Flag flown in Hawaii
- 1894 Republic of Hawaii readopts Hawaiian Flag
- 1898-1959 Territory of Hawaii uses Hawaiian Flag (confirmed 1903)
- 1959-present State of Hawaii uses Hawaiian Flag (confirmed 1959)
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Hawaii (HI) State Flag