The state flag of Maryland was officially adopted in 1904. It is
the only US state flag based on British heraldry (the coats of arms of noble
families). The flag's design was based on the coat of arms adopted by George
Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore. The alternating yellow and black are from
Lord Calvert's family shield; the red and white design is either from Calvert's
maternal family, the Crosslands, or his wife's family, the Mynnes.
Maryland was the 7th state in the USA; it became a state in 1788.
