Rare Facts About Flags & Flagpoles

Flags are a familiar sight, flying proudly on front porches, schools, and military bases. Yet, throughout history, they’ve also appeared in extraordinary ways, defying expectations and showcasing human creativity. These fun facts take us from ancient civilizations to the far reaches of space, revealing the surprising places flags have left their mark.

The American Flag Furthest Away from the USA

Take a guess: Where do you think the American flag furthest away from its home country is located? Perhaps on the Moon?

The most distant American flag is currently located almost 15.5 billion miles away from Earth aboard Voyager 1. The small flag, likely 16 inches long, left our solar system in 2010. A similar flag is sewn into Voyager 2, which is now 12.8 billion miles from Earth. At 38,026 mph and 34,390 mph, respectively, these are also the fastest American flags in the universe!

The Most Rare Color on a National Flag

Purple is the rarest color on all national flags of the world, appearing only on the flags of five countries: Dominica, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Spain.

The use of purple dye on fabrics dates back to 1200 BCE, when the Phoenicians produced it in the city of Tyre, located in modern-day Lebanon. The dye, known as “Tyrian purple,” was created by extracting the mucus from sea snails in the Muricidae family. The process required massive amounts of time, labor, and snails, making the dye a rare commodity. Thus, the use of Tyrian purple for dying fabrics was reserved for the wealthy and military generals.

Many national flags that predate the invention of synthetic dyes feature colors that would have been readily available as natural dyes, which often did not include purple. The national flag that contains the most purple, that of Dominica, was designed in 1978, long after the first synthetic purple dye was discovered in 1856.

The 1918 Attempt for the World’s Largest Free-Flying American Flag

At the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, the state of Washington set up a 238-foot flagpole constructed from a Douglas fir tree, which flew a 20-by-60-foot American flag. Promoters hoped to boost the export of Douglas fir trees by advertising them as the ideal choice for flagpoles.

The display spurred a movement to build even taller flagpoles to fly even larger flags. In 1917, following the entry of the US into World War II, fundraising efforts successfully purchased a 60 by 90-foot American flag for Camp Lewis (today known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord). It was not the biggest American flag, a title held by a 150 by 75-foot flag that hung from a building, but the Camp Lewis flag was planned to become the largest free-flying flag in the country.

A 346-foot tall Douglas fir tree was found and converted into a 314-foot pole for the campgrounds. On October 12, 1918, the 257-pound flag was hoisted up the pole. However, no sooner than the flag began to unfurl, the pole cracked under the weight of the flag and collapsed.

A second hoisting ceremony was held with a 214-foot pole created with pieces of the original flagpole, but disaster struck once more as the flag shredded itself in half. After that, the flagpole remained in use, albeit with a smaller, lighter flag.

Even though this attempt to build the world’s tallest flagpole and free-flying flag did not succeed, it remains an impressive example of the ambition and perseverance the American flag inspired in the people of Camp Lewis.

Did you learn something new? Let us know what you found surprising in these stories and any other rare flag and flag pole facts we should cover next by emailing marketing+flagfacts@flags.com!