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Freedom Fabric: A History of the Stars and Stripes

On July 5, the 50-star version of the American flag becomes the longest-serving flag in U.S. history.

The last time a star was added to the flag was July 4, 1960 — nearly a year after Hawaii became the 50th state to join the union.

But since 1777 — when congressional and presidential declarations defined the number of stars and stripes on the flag — there have been more than two dozen official versions of the flag, and many unofficial versions.

For the father-son team of Peter and Kevin Keim, the beauty and historic significance of the flag has led to a lifetime of passionate collecting.

Read entire article at NPR: Weekend Edition