Mike Rowe's "Somebody's Gotta Do It" airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT Thursdays on CNN US.

(CNN) There have been many variations of the American flag throughout history, but only one that can lay claim to inspiring the national anthem.

It was sewn together on the floor of a brewery and took 11 men to hoist up the flagpole. After a night of British bombardment, it still flew over Fort McHenry during the "dawn's early light" on September 14, 1814, as Francis Scott Key wrote in "The Star-Spangled Banner."

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That was more than 200 years ago but our flag is still inspiring people like CNN's Mike Rowe to trace its history.

So, what makes the American Flag so special? One word: Simplicity.

Ted Kaye, who literally wrote the book on good flag design titled "Good Flag, Bad Flag," says "flags should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory."

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