On this day: July 4

POSTED: 02:29 PM PDT Jun 27, 2012    UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Jul 03, 2012 

A country is born -- and later expands, an "Iron Horse" retires and we lose three presidents, all on this day in history.

July 4 OTD - 49-star US flag
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1959: The short-lived 49-star U.S. flag debuts, six months and one day after the admission of Alaska in January 1959. The U.S. Flag Act calls for new flag designs to become official on the July 4 following admission of one or more new states.

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