Strange But True! Can You Recognize These Beauties?

Can you recognize these beauties?   Some grew up to be beauty queens and glamorous movie stars, and some were glamorous back "in the day" before becoming famous later!

Angela Lansbury, who later went on to star in "Murder She Wrote"

Betty White....yes, Betty White, who went on to star on "Golden Girls"

Elizabeth Taylor

Jayne Mansfield

Jessica Tandy, who went on to star in "Driving Miss Daisy"

Julie Newmar, who went on to star as Catwoman in the Batman TV series

Lucille Ball

Marilyn Monroe

Raquel Welch

Rue McClanahan, who went on to star on "Golden Girls"

Vivian Leigh, who later starred as Scarlett O'Hara of "Gone With The Wind."

Facts About The Rolling Stones

This is the 50th Anniversary of the Rolling Stones!  In honor of their 50th anniversary, here are 50 facts about the Stones.  Many of them are indeed strange but true!

1. Founded by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1962, The Rolling Stones are the longest continuously performing band in the history of Rock n Roll
2. Mick Jagger was actually schooled at the London School of Economics.
3. Early on Jagger and Richards used the the pseudonym  "Nanker Phelge in songwriting.
4. The Stones signed with Decca Records in 1963 and within 6 months of their first release, they were big time.
5. In 1964, the Stones' Brian Jones wrote a jingle for, and the band appeared in a commercial for Kellogg's Rice Krispies, in England.
6. The Stones first toured the USA in 1964. Their first USA hit was "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday."
7. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were actually good friends, although for marketing purposes, the Stones were portrayed as the "bad boys" and the "anti-Beatles"
8. The Stones first worldwide number one hit was in 1965, "Satisfaction."
9. The Stones started out playing exclusively American Blues cover songs, as they were big fans of the genre.  Their name comes from a Muddy Waters song.
10. Original Stones guitarist Brian Jones worked at Whitely's Dept Store in London but was fired for stealing.
11.  Although Jagger and Richards did a lot of drugs, and drugs ultimately killed Brian Jones, Bass player Bill Wyman and Drummer Charlie Watts did not like drugs and for the most part steered clear of them.
12. In 1969, at a free concert to promote the album "Let It Bleed" a fan, Meredith Hunter,  was stabbed to death by a Hell's Angel at Altamont Speedway, California as the band was playing "Under My Thumb."
13. Another fan died during the Alamont show by falling into and drowning in an irrigation ditch. That victim is not identified.
14. The cake featured on the cover of the Stones album "Let It Bleed" was baked by famed television chef Della Smith
15. As a child, Keith Richards dressed in cowboy outfits, complete with holsters and said he wanted to be like Roy Rogers, and play guitar.
16. Guitarist Brian Jones fathered 2 illegitimate children by he time was was 16 years old.
17. Brian Jones, who many attributed to introducing the band to American Blues, left the Stones in 1969 and a few weeks later was found dead in his swimming pool.  The coroner listed the cause of death to "death by misadventure."
18. The Stones' answer to The Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was "Their Satanic Majesties Request."  It was the last album on which Brian Jones would play.
19. At the Beatles premier part for "A Hard Days Night," Brian Jones, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts were not invited, but crashed the party anyway!
20. Jagger made his acting debut in 1970, playing the lead in a film titled, Ned Kelly.  He played an outlaw.
21. Keith Richards named his child after actor Marlon Brando
22. The Stones are the highest earning band in Rock history, with the concerts grossing between 750 million and 1 billion dollars over the years.
23. Bill Wyman owns a restaurant in London, named "Sticky Fingers"
24. The Stones song "Midnight Rambler" is actually based on Albert DeSalvo, AKA The Boston Strangler.
25. Mick Jagger's middle name is Philip
26. The Rolling Stones have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.
27. During a 1965 tour, Wyman coined the phrase "groupie."
28. The "Sticky Fingers" album cover was designed by Andy Warhol
29. The producers of the 1971 film "Clockwork Orange" initially wanted the lead role to be played by Jagger, but later decided upon Malcolm McDowell.
30. The Stones formed their own label, Rolling Stones Records, in 1971, becoming one of the first groups to form their own record label.
31. In 1975, when guitarist Mick Taylor left The Stones, one of the possible replacements named was Peter Frampton, although the Stones eventually went with Wood.
32. The 2002, Texas billionaire David Bonderman hired The Rolling Stones for his 60th birthday party, for 7 million dollars.
33. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page plays guitar on the Stones hit "One Hit To The Body."
34. The famous "tongue" logo was designed by  John Pasche, and inspired by the Hindu Goddess, Kali The Destroyer
35. Guitarist Mick Taylor replaced Brian Jones in The Stones.  Later, he was replaced by Ron Wood.
36. Former bassist Bill Wyman's hobby is metal detecting....
37. On the 1967 Stones song, "We Love You," Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon sang back up.
38. Four different films directed by famed director Martin Scorsese used the Stones song "Gimme Shelter.
39.   Mick Jagger was knigted in 2002.  Richards thought it was hypocritical
40. Upon Bassist Bill Wyman's "retirement," he was replaced by bass player Darryl Jones, a one time bar band veteran in Carbondale, Illinois, the home of Southern Illinois University.  Jones has played with the Stones since 1994 although he is NOT listed as an official band member.
41. Originally, The Stones album "Exile On Main Street" had the working title of "Tropical Disease."
42. The Stones drummer for their first show, Mich Avory, went on to be the drummer for The Kinks.
43. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are also known as the "Glimmer Twins"
44. After a drug bust in Toronto, Keith Richards said, "Drugs were never a problem. Policemen, were a problem."
45. "Get Yer Ya Ya's Out" is the only Stones Album cover featuring drummer Charlie Watts.
46. Almost all Stones songwriting cresits are Jagger/Richards.  This does not sit well with Watts and Wyman
47. One of Creedence Clearwater Revival's biggest hits, "Suzie Q," was actually a cover of a Rolling Stones song. 
48. Mick Jagger has fathered SEVEN children, four with longtime girlfriend Jerry Hall.
49. For the opening leg of the Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" tour, the opening band was Guns n Roses.
50. In 1989, The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

The 10 Most Expensive Guitars Of All Time

Guitars are wonderful instruments and also incredibly personal, with lots of history and sentimental value behind them.  These guitars brought the highest prices ever, either through private sale or auction.

10.   $375,000   Leo Fender's 1949 prototype for the Fender Telecaster

9. $455,550  Eric Clapton's Fender Stratocaster, plated in 23 carat gold to mark the 50th anniversary of Fender in 1996

8. $571,000 George Harrison and John Lennon's 1964 Gibson SG

7. $623,500  Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1965 Fender Stratocaster, nicknamed "Lenny" after his wife, who bought him the guitar.

6. $791,500 Eric Clapton's 1939 Martin Acoustic Guitar, auctioned to raise funds for his Crossroads Benefit

5. $847,500  Eric Clapton's 1964 Gibson 335

4. $959,5000 Eric Clapton's 1970 Fender Stratocaster nicknamed "Blackie"

3. $1.2-2 million estimated.  Bob Marley's Washburn.

2. $2 million.  Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Fender Stratocaster, bought by Paul Allen of Microsoft in 1998, the guitar was played by Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969

1.  $2.7 Million: The "Reach Out To Asia" Fender Stratocaster auctioned off to raise money for tsunami relief efforts.  It was signed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Mark Knopfler, Ray Davis, Liam Gallagher, Ronnie Wood, Tony Iommi, Angus and Malcolm Young, Paul McCartney, Sting, Ritchie Blackmore, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams

Source: The Telegraph

Strange But True Facts About The Beatles

The Beatles may have been the most influential band in the history of rock n roll, even though they had a relatively short tenure together.  Here are some cool facts about the Beatles and their songs you may not know!

The Beatles were formed in 1957 by John Lennon.  The original name of the band was The Blackjacks.  Later they became The Quarrymen, and after that, The Beatles!  Paul McCartney and George Harrison joined the band in 1958.

In 1962, the Beatles single "Love Me Do" reached number 17 on the charts in the UK.  Part of the reason for this may have been their own manager bought 10,000 copies of the single, to move it up the charts!


Astronomer Carl Sagan wanted The Beatles recording "Here Comes The Sun" included on a phonograph record sent into space aboard the Spacecraft Voyager. While the Beatles themselves liked the idea,  EMI, the Beatles label, refused to allow it.

George Harrison was the first Beatle to perform in the United States.....in 1963, he visited his sister, Louise,  in Benton, Illinois! He wound up playing/jamming with a local band, The Four Vests, at the VFW in nearby Eldorado, Illiniois. They played everything from Carl Perkins' "Matchbox." to Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart."  While in Southern Illinois, he also bout a guitar at a Mt. Vernon music store ( a Rickenbacker 425) , and the first Beatle record to ever be played on the radio in United States happened at WRFX-AM, in West Frankfort, Illinois, where Harrison was also interviewed on the air.  The record they played was "She Loves You."  In 1964, The Beatles made their first trip to the USA as a group, appeared on the E Sullivan Show, and the rest is history!

At first, Paul McCartney and John Lennon were disinterested in George Harrison song, "While My Guiar Gently Weeps" for The White Album.  Eric Clapton initially refused to play on it,  saying "No one ever plays on Beatles records." Harrison convinced him to participate.

The Beatles debut album, "Please Please Me" was recorded in only 9 hours.

In the 60s, The Beatles bought a private 80 acre island where they planned to live together, as a sanctuary away from they overly enthusiastic fans, but eventually, they broke up and the island was sold....at a profit.

The original bass player for the Beatles was Stuart Suttcliffe, who left the band in Germany.  He was replaced by Chas Newby.  Newby also left the band to return to school and later became a math teacher.

In the 60s, The Beatles wanted to be in a film directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on "The Lord Of The Rings," but the project never materialized.  Lord of the Rings creator, J.R.R.Tolkien was against the Beatles being involved in the project.

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" was the first Beatles record to be recorded in stereo.

"Yesterday" holds the record for the most "covered" recording of all time. It was been recorded more than 16 hundred times by artist ranging from Elvis, to Frank Sinantra to Boys 2 Men.

The second most covered song is George Harrison's "Something," which Frank Sinatra called "The greatest love song of the last 50 years."

"Ticket To Ride" was the first Beatles song to last more than 3 minutes.

Walt Disney wanted The Beatles to perform in the Disney classic "Jungle Book, but the Beatles themselves shot down the idea, as John Lennon said "There's no way The Beatles are going to sing for Mickey Fu*king Mouse!"

Paul McCartney is left handed although there were rumors he was right handed and simply played left handed.  Ringo Starr is ambidextrous but plays drums right handed.

None of The Beatles could read music. They played "by ear."

Paul McCartney and former Beatles drummer Pete Best were deported from Germany for arson.....for burning condoms.  They were trying to use them for light to see in their van.

British model Pattie Boyd inspired both George Harrison's "Something." and Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." She wound up being the first wife of BOTH!

In 1961, The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records, who told them "guitar groups are on the way out.," and they had no future.  Less than a year later, Beatlemania swept England.

Every 15 seconds, a Beatles song is played, somewhere in the world.

On April 4, 1964, The Beatles held 12 positions on Billboard Magazine's "Hot 100" chart, including ALL of  the top 5 positions.  A feat that has never been matched.  Number one was "Can't But Me Love."

Cher's first song release, under the name Bonnie Jo Mason, was a song titled, "Ringo, I Love You"

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is based on a Salvation Army children's home in Liverpool which John Lennon remembered from his childhood.

The song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is NOT about LSD.  It's about a drawing little Julian Lennon did in nursery school, which he brought home to his dad, John.

In 1964, The Beatles were introduced to marijuana by Bob Dylan. Paul McCartney later confiemd every reference to "high" and "grass" in Beatles songs were related to marijuana.

The Beatles song "She's So Heavy" is more than 8 minutes long, yet the lyrics only contain 14 words.

Facts About The State of Illinois

The name "Illinois" comes from a Native American word meaning "tribe of superior men."

Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818. Illinois was the 21st state to enter the Union. It had a population of 34,620 people. Illinois is now the sixth most populous state in the country with almost 11.5 million people.

The state song is “Illinois.”

Illinois’ state animal is the white-tailed deer.

The state slogan, "Land of Lincoln," was adopted by the General Assembly in 1955. The State of Illinois has a copyright for the exclusive use of the slogan.

Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and Alton hosted the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates that stirred interest in the slavery issue all over the country.

The first aquarium opened in Chicago in 1893.

The world's first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885.

Illinois is home to the Chicago Bears Football Team, Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, Chicago Bulls basketball team, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox baseball teams, and Chicago Fire soccer team.

Peoria is the oldest community in Illinois.

Illinois’ state fruit is the Goldrush apple.

The Illinois state reptile is the painted turtle.

The Willis Tower, located in Chicago, is the tallest building on the North American continent. It was the world's tallest building from 1973 until 1996. It covers two city blocks and rises one-quarter mile above the ground. It is still the tallest building to the top of the roof (1,450 feet) and has the highest occupied floor (1,431 feet).

Metropolis, the home of Superman, really exists in southern Illinois.

Illinois is home to Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, which is the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico.

Illinois had two different capital cities, Kaskaskia and Vandalia, before Springfield.

The Illinois state fossil is the Tully monster.

The Illinois state prairie grass is big bluestem.

Illinois was the home of President Ulysses S. Grant, whose home is preserved in Galena.

The NFL's ChicagoBears were first known as the "Staley Bears." They were organized in Decatur in 1920.

In 1865, Illinois became the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery.

On December 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi and a small band of scientists and engineers demonstrated that a simple construction of graphite bricks and uranium lumps could produce controlled heat. The space chosen for the first nuclear fission reactor was a squash court under the football stadium at the University of Chicago.

Illinois’ state tree is the white oak.

The Illinois state mineral is fluorite.

Springfield is the state capital and the home of the national historic site of the home of President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln is buried just outside Springfield at Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site.

Chicago is home to the Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station, the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire.

The Illinois state insect is the monarch butterfly.

Illinois’ state snack food is popcorn.

Before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, he served in the Illinois legislature and practiced law in Springfield.

Carlyle is the home of the largest man-made lake in Illinois.

Illinois has 102 counties.

Ronald Reagan, born in Tampico and raised in Dixon, became the 40th president of the United States in 1980.

The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound at 1,235 feet above sea level.

The state motto is “State Sovereignty, National Union.”

The Illinois state amphibian is the eastern tiger salamander.

Illinois’ state flower is the violet.

Evanston is the home of the ice cream sundae.

The first silo was constructed on a farm in Spring Grove.

The Illinois state dance is square dancing.

The Illinois state bird is the cardinal.

Illinois’ state fish is the bluegill.

At over 6,000, Illinois has more units of government (i.e., city, county, township, etc.) than any other state. One reason for this may be the township governments, which generally govern areas of just 6 square miles.

In 1905, the president of the Chicago Cubs filed charges against a fan in the bleachers for catching a fly ball and keeping it.

Unlike most skyscrapers, the Chicago's Mercantile Exchange building was built entirely without an internal steel skeleton; it depends on its thick walls to keep itself up.

The abbreviation "ORD" for Chicago's O'Hare airport comes from the original name, Orchard Field. The airport was renamed in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare.

The trains that pass through Chicago's underground freight tunnels daily would extend over 10 miles total in length.

In Mount Pulaski, it is illegal for boys (and only boys) to hurl snowballs at trees.

Illinois is known for its varied weather, including major winter storms, deadly tornadoes, and spectacular heat and cold waves.

The first birth on record in Chicago was that of Eulalia Pointe du Sable, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable and his Potawatomi Native American wife, in 1796.

Chicago's Mercy Hospital was the first hospital in Illinois.

The first animal purchased for the Lincoln Park Zoo was a bear cub, which was bought for $10 on June 1, 1874.

The University of Chicago opened on October 1, 1892, with an enrollment of 594 and a faculty of 103.

Comedy showcase "Second City" was founded on North Wells Street in a former Chinese laundry in 1959.

Chicago's first African American mayor, Harold Washington, took office in 1983.

The four stars on the Chicago flag represent Fort Dearborn, the Chicago Fire, the World's Columbian Exposition, and the Century of Progress Exposition.

The Chicago PublicLibrary is the world's largest public library, with a collection of more than 2 million books.

The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.

The Chicago River is dyed green on Saint Patrick's Day.

Chicago is home to the world's largest cookie and cracker factory, where Nabisco made 16 billion Oreo cookies in 1995.

Illinois’ state soil is Drummer silty clay loam.

Source: Illinois Attorney General's Office

Strange But True Facts About Superman

Superman is the original and most known comic book super hero!  Many people know the basics about the Superman story, but here are some strange but true facts you may not know about him!

Superman was originally a villain!  In the early 1930s, Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster collaborated on a comic in which a mad scientist transformed a regular person into someone who could read and control minds and who used his powers for evil and his own gain. The comic was titled, "The Reign of the Super Man."

The first Superman comic in which the super hero appeared as we all know him, came out in 1938, as Action Comics  #1. It is the most valuable comic book in the world.

The original falling out between Superman and his arch enemy,  Lex Luther  was because Superman cost Luthor his hair! As teenagers, they were working on a scientific experiment when a fire in the lab began. Superboy (then) blew out the fire with his "super breath" but the spread of the chemicals caused Lex Luthor's permanent hair loss and Luthor vowed revenge!

There really is a hometown of Superman! It's the small town of Metropolis, Illinois.  The newspaper is even named "The Planet," although it's a weekly newspaper instead of a daily newspaper.  Each year, Metropolis hosts a Superman Celebration as Superman and comic book enthusiasts gather!  Metropolis boasts a huge statue of Superman, a Superman Museum, and  a statue of Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the TV series with George Reeves, in addition to other attractions.

After a storyline in 1945 where Superman visited an "cyclotron" which smashed atoms, the FBI, fearing a leak involving the development of the nuclear bomb in WWII, visited the editorial offices of the comic.

Superman celebrates his birthday as June 1st, the day he landed on Earth.  Clark Kent celebrates his birthday on June 18th, the day he was adopted by the Kent family.

Long before the Civil Rights Movement, Superman took on the KKK in episodes for the radio show, in which Superman challenged the KKK's Grand Scorpion, preaching tolerance over racial purification.

The S on Superman's outfit is not really an S at all, but a symbol honoring the family name of his birth father, Jor-El.  It only looks like an S!

Originally, Superman stood for just "Truth and Justice," but around the time of World War II, the "and the American Way" was added in the radio broadcasts and eventually in the TV show.

The characters Perry White and Jimmy Olsen,  along with the storyline about the element Kryptonite, came from the radio show, not the comic.

Although Superman first appeared, in his present character, in 1938, he didn't gain the ability to "fly" until 1941.

Clark Kent's middle name is Joseph.

Superman gave Batman a piece of Kryptonite, to to used if Superman ever got "out of control."

Facts About The American Flag

How much do you know about the American Flag?  Here are some facts, some of which might surprise you!

The flag was first authorized by Congress June 14, 1777. This date is now observed as Flag Day.

There is NO evidence that Betsy Ross had anything to do with the design or sewing of the first American Flag! YOu can tour the Betsy Ross House in Phildelphia, although it's unclear if it's the actual house she even lived in!

It was first decreed that there should be a star and a stripe for each state, making thirteen of both; for the states at the time had just been erected from the original thirteen colonies.

The flag was first flown from Fort Stanwix, on the site of the present city of Rome, New York, on August 3, 1777. It was first under fire for three days later in the Battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1777.

The colors of the Flag may be thus explained: The red is for valor, zeal and fervency; the white for hope purity, cleanliness of life, and rectitude of conduct; the blue, the color of heaven, for reverence to God, loyalty, sincerity, justice and truth.

The star (an ancient symbol of India, Persia and Egypt) symbolized dominion and sovereignty, as well as lofty aspirations. The constellation of the stars within the union, one star for each state, is emblematic of our Federal Constitution, which reserves to the States their individual sovereignty except as to rights delegated by them to the Federal Government.

There have been 27 official versions of the US flag, each with a different amount of stars. A 39-star version is not among them, but that did not stop some enterprising flag manufacturers from producing one for the marketplace. The reason for the miscalculation: some thought North Dakota and South Dakota were going to be admitted as one state.

The current 50-star American Flag was designed by a high school student, Robert Heft, from Ohio!

The symbolism of the Flag was thus interpreted by Washington: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty.”

In 1791, Vermont, and in 1792, Kentucky were admitted to the Union and the number of stars and stripes was raised to fifteen in correspondence. As other states came into the Union it became evident there would be too many stripes. So in 1818 Congress enacted that the number of stripes be reduced and restricted henceforth to thirteen representing the thirteen original states; while a star should be added for each succeeding state. That law is the law of today.

The actual "Star Spangled Banner" flag which flew over Ft McHenry in the War of 1812 STILL EXISTS and hangs in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It inspired Francis Scott Key's song which remains the National Anthem. It's actually what's left of the flag, as many swatches were snipped off as souvenirs.

The name “Old Glory” was given to our National Flag August 10, 1831, by Captain William Driver of the brig Charles Doggett.

Of the 6 American Flags planted on the moon, 5 are still standing!

The United States Flag is unique in the deep and noble significance of its message to the entire world, a message of national independence, of individual liberty, of idealism, of patriotism.

It symbolizes national independence and popular sovereignty. It is not the Flag of a reigning family or royal house, but of 205 million free people welded into a Nation, one and inseparable, united not only by community of interest, but by vital unity of sentiment and purpose; a Nation distinguished for the clear individual conception of its citizens alike of their duties and their privileges, their obligations and their rights.

It incarnates for all mankind the spirit of Liberty and the glorious ideal of human Freedom; not the freedom of unrestraint or the liberty of license, but an unique ideal of equal opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, safeguarded by the stern and lofty principles of duty, of righteousness and of justice, and attainable by obedience to self-imposed laws.

Floating from lofty pinnacle of American Idealism, it is a beacon of enduring hope, like the famous Bartholdi Statue of Liberty enlightening the World to the oppressed of all lands. It floats over a wondrous assemblage of people from every racial stock of the earth whose united hearts constitute an indivisible and invincible force for the defense and succor of the downtrodden.

It embodies the essence of patriotism. Its spirit is the spirit of the American nation. Its history is the history of the American people. Emblazoned upon its folds in letters of living light are the names and fame of our heroic dead, the Fathers of the Republic who devoted upon its altars their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Twice told tales of National honor and glory cluster thickly about it. Ever victorious, it has emerged triumphant from eight great National conflicts. It flew at Saratog, at Yorktown, at Palo Alto, at Gettysburg, at Minala bay, at Chateau-Thierry, at Iwo Jima. It bears witness to the immense expansion of our national boundaries, the development of our natural resources, and the splendid structure of our civilization. It prophesies the triumph of popular government, of civic and religious liberty and of national righteousness throughout the world.

The flag first rose over thirteen states along the Atlantic seaboard, with a population of some three million people. Today it flies over fifty states, extending across the continent, and over great islands of the two oceans; and two hundred and five million owe it allegiance. It has been brought to this proud position by love and sacrifice. Citizens have advanced it and heroes have died for it. It is the sign made visible of the strong spirit that has brought liberty and prosperity to the people of America. It is the flag of all us alike. Let us accord it honor and loyalty.