The Flag of Hong Kong is red with a stylised, white, five-petal
Bauhinia blakeana flower in the centre. The red colour on this
regional flag is the same as that on the national flag. The Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region flag was adopted on 16 February 1990,
and received formal approval from the Preparatory Committee on 10
August 1996. The flag was first officially hoisted on 1 July 1997, in
a historical ceremony marking the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong
from the United Kingdom to the PRC. The precise use of the regional
flag is regulated through laws passed by the 58th executive meeting of
the State Council held in Beijing. The former colonial flag was used
from 27 July 1959, to 30 June 1997, when Hong Kong was under British
rule. It was a blue Union Jack ensign with the Hong Kong coat of arms
on a white disk centred on the outer half of the flag.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Hong_Kong
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1853:
Russian battleships led by Pavel Nakhimov destroyed an Ottoman fleet
at the Battle of Sinop, precipitating the Crimean War.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War)
1936:
The Crystal Palace, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London,
England, was destroyed by fire.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Palace)
1939:
The Winter War: The Red Army invaded Finland, but were stalled at the
Mannerheim Line.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War)
1979:
The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, was first
released.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall)
1999:
Large-scale anti-globalization protests disrupted the World Trade
Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle, USA.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/anti-globalization)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"Hello. My name is Iñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to
die." -- Mandy Patinkin as "Iñigo Montoya" in The Princess Bride
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mandy_Patinkin)