On This Day
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England adopts the Union Flag, replaced in 1801 by current Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack

The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom. The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George (the patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the red...

The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom.

The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George (the patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the red saltire of Saint Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland), also edged in white, superimposed on the saltire of Saint Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland). Wales is not represented in the flag because the earlier flag of Great Britain was designed while Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.

The origins of the flag date to the earlier flag of Great Britain which was established in 1606 by a proclamation of King James VI and I of Scotland and England.

Historical Significance

The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom.

Events Before

  1. First edition of "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" (Part One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is pub

    First edition of "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" (Part One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid

  2. Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes attempts to blow up King James I and the British Parliament in the Gunpowder Plot. The p

    Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes attempts to blow up King James I and the British Parliament in the Gunpowder Plot. The plot is discovered, and Guy Fawkes is caught, tortured, and later executed along with seven others. Celebrated ever since as Guy Fawkes Day, his effigy is traditionally burned on a

  3. Portuguese garrison on Ambon surrenders to Admiral Van der Haghen

    Portuguese garrison on Ambon surrenders to Admiral Van der Haghen

  4. Camillo Borghese elected to succeed Pope Leo XI, becomes Pope Paul V

    Pope Paul V (Latin: Paulus PP. V; Italian: Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his...

  5. False Dimitri I, an impostor, crowned Russian tsar (rules 1605-1606)

    False Dimitri I, an impostor, crowned Russian tsar (rules 1605-1606)

Events After

  1. Claudio Monteverdi's opera "L'Orfeo" premieres in Mantua, the oldest opera still regularly performed

    The Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) wrote several works for the stage between 1604 and 1643, including ten in the then-emerging opera genre.

  2. The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain

    The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain

  3. San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; the oldest church in the Philippines

    The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture, also known as the Church of Saint Augustine and Immaculate Conception Parish, is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of the...

  4. Massive flooding in England destroys around 200 square miles of coastline and results in approximately 2,000 casualties

    Massive flooding in England destroys around 200 square miles of coastline and results in approximately 2,000 casualties

  5. The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland

    The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland

More from the 1600s

Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25

A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year.

First edition of "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" (Part One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is pub

First edition of "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" (Part One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid

English traveller Robert Shirley marries Iranian noblewoman Teresa Sampsonia at the Safavid royal court

Teresa Sampsonia was a Circassian-English noblewoman of Safavid Iran. She was the wife of the Elizabethan English adventurer Robert Shirley, whom she accompanied on his travels and embassies across...

A fleet of five British East India Company vessels departs on its first voyage from London, led by James Lancaster comma

A fleet of five British East India Company vessels departs on its first voyage from London, led by James Lancaster commanding the "Red Dragon"; the journey lasts nearly 16 months

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 12, 1606?
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom. The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George (the patron saint of England), edged in white, superimposed on the red saltire of Saint Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland), also edged in white, superimposed on the saltire of Saint Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland). Wales is not represented in the flag because the earlier flag of Great Britain was designed while Wales was part of the Kingdom of England.
Why is England adopts the Union Flag, replaced in 1801 by current Union Flag, also k... significant?
The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom.

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April 12 in HistoryYear 1606