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Passwd

passwd is a command on Unix, Plan 9, Inferno, and most Unix-like operating systems used to change a user's password. The password entered by the user is run through a key derivation function to create a hashed version of the new password, which is saved. Only the hashed version is stored; the entered password is not saved for security reasons.

When the user logs on, the password entered by the user during the log on process is run through the same key derivation function and the resulting hashed version is compared with the saved version. If the hashes are identical, the entered password is considered to be correct, and the user is authenticated. In theory, it is possible for two different passwords to produce the same hash. However, cryptographic hash functions are designed in such a way that finding any password that produces the same hash is very difficult and practically infeasible, so if the produced hash matches the stored one, the user can be authenticated.

The passwd command may be used to change passwords for local accounts, and on most systems, can also be used to change passwords managed in a distributed authentication mechanism such as NIS, Kerberos, or LDAP.

Password file
The  file is a text-based database of information about users that may log into the system or other operating system user identities that own running processes.

In many operating systems, this file is just one of many possible back-ends for the more general passwd name service.

The file's name originates from one of its initial functions as it contained the data used to verify passwords of user accounts. However, on modern Unix systems the security-sensitive password information is instead often stored in a different file using shadow passwords, or other database implementations.

The  file typically has file system permissions that allow it to be readable by all users of the system (world-readable), although it may only be modified by the superuser or by using a few special purpose privileged commands.

The  file is a text file with one record per line, each describing a user account. Each record consists of seven fields separated by colons. The ordering of the records within the file is generally unimportant.

An example record may be:

The fields, in order from left to right, are:
 * 1) jsmith: User name: the string a user would type in when logging into the operating system: the logname.  Must be unique across users listed in the file.
 * x: Information used to validate a user's password. The format is the same as that of the analogous field in the shadow password file, with the additional convention that setting it to "x" means the actual password is found in the shadow file, a common occurrence on modern systems.
 * 1) 1001: user identifier number, used by the operating system for internal purposes.  It must be unique as it identifies users uniquely.
 * 2) 1000: group identifier number, which identifies the primary group of the user; all files that are created by this user may initially be accessible to this group.
 * 3) Joe Smith,Room 1007...: Gecos field, commentary that describes the person or account. Typically, this is a set of comma-separated values including the user's full name and contact details.
 * 4) /home/jsmith: Path to the user's home directory.
 * 5) /bin/sh: Program that is started every time the user logs into the system. For an interactive user, this is usually one of the system's command line interpreters (shells).

Shadow file
is used to increase the security level of passwords by restricting all but highly privileged users' access to hashed password data. Typically, that data is kept in files owned by and accessible only by the super user.

Systems administrators can reduce the likelihood of brute-force attacks by making the list of hashed passwords unreadable by unprivileged users. The obvious way to do this is to make the  database itself readable only by the root user. However, this would restrict access to other data in the file such as username-to-userid mappings, which would break many existing utilities and provisions. One solution is a "shadow" password file to hold the password hashes separate from the other data in the world-readable passwd file. For local files, this is usually  on Linux and Unix systems, or   on BSD systems; each is readable only by root. (Root access to the data is considered acceptable since on systems with the traditional "all-powerful root" security model, the root user would be able to obtain the information in other ways in any case). Virtually all recent Unix-like operating systems use shadowed passwords.

The shadow password file does not entirely solve the problem of attacker access to hashed passwords, as some network authentication schemes operate by transmitting the hashed password over the network (sometimes in cleartext, e.g., Telnet ), making it vulnerable to interception. Copies of system data, such as system backups written to tape or optical media, can also become a means for illicitly obtaining hashed passwords. In addition, the functions used by legitimate password-checking programs need to be written in such a way that malicious programs cannot make large numbers of authentication checks at high rates of speed.

Regardless of whether password shadowing is in effect on a given system, the passwd file is readable by all users so that various system utilities (e.g., grep) can work (e.g., to ensure that user names existing on the system can be found inside the file), while only the root user can write to it. Without password shadowing, this means that an attacker with unprivileged access to the system can obtain the hashed form of every user's password. Those values can be used to mount a brute force attack offline, testing possible passwords against the hashed passwords relatively quickly without alerting system security arrangements designed to detect an abnormal number of failed login attempts. Especially when the hash is not salted it is also possible to look up these hashed passwords in rainbow tables, databases specially made for giving back a password for a unique hash.

With a shadowed password scheme in use, the  file typically shows a character such as ' ', or ' ' in the password field for each user instead of the hashed password, and   usually contains the following user information:
 * User login name
 * salt and hashed password OR a status exception value e.g.:
 * , the printable form of a password hash as produced by crypt (C), where  is the algorithm used. Other Unix-like systems may have different values, like NetBSD. Key stretching is used to increase password cracking difficulty, using by default 1000 rounds of modified MD5, 64 rounds of Blowfish, 5000 rounds of SHA-256 or SHA-512. The number of rounds may be varied for Blowfish, or for SHA-256 and SHA-512 by using , where "A" and "X" are the algorithm IDs and the number of rounds.  Common id values include:
 * – MD5
 * ,,   – bcrypt
 * – SHA-256
 * – SHA-512
 * – yescrypt
 * Empty string – No password, the account has no password (reported by passwd on Solaris with "NP").
 * "!", "*" – the account is password locked, user will be unable to log in via password authentication but other methods (e.g. ssh key, logging in as root) may be still allowed.
 * "*LK*" – the account itself is locked, user will be unable to log in.
 * "*NP*", "!!" – the password has never been set
 * Days since epoch of last password change
 * Days until change allowed
 * Days before change required
 * Days warning for expiration
 * Days after no logins before account is locked
 * Days since epoch when account expires
 * Reserved and unused

The format of the shadow file is simple, and basically identical to that of the password file, to wit, one line per user, ordered fields on each line, and fields separated by colons. Many systems require the order of user lines in the shadow file be identical to the order of the corresponding users in the password file.

History
Prior to password shadowing, a Unix user's hashed password was stored in the second field of their record in the  file (within the seven-field format as outlined above).

Password shadowing first appeared in Unix systems with the development of SunOS in the mid-1980s, System V Release 3.2 in 1988 and BSD4.3 Reno in 1990. But, vendors who had performed ports from earlier UNIX releases did not always include the new password shadowing features in their releases, leaving users of those systems exposed to password file attacks.

System administrators may also arrange for the storage of passwords in distributed databases such as NIS and LDAP, rather than in files on each connected system. In the case of NIS, the shadow password mechanism is often still used on the NIS servers; in other distributed mechanisms the problem of access to the various user authentication components is handled by the security mechanisms of the underlying data repository.

In 1987, the author of the original Shadow Password Suite, Julie Haugh, experienced a computer break-in and wrote the initial release of the Shadow Suite containing the,   and   commands. The original release, written for the SCO Xenix operating system, quickly got ported to other platforms. The Shadow Suite was ported to Linux in 1992 one year after the original announcement of the Linux project, and was included in many early distributions, and continues to be included in many current Linux distributions.

In the past, it was necessary to have different commands to change passwords in different authentication schemes. For example, the command to change a NIS password was yppasswd. This required users to be aware of the different methods to change passwords for different systems, and also resulted in wasteful duplication of code in the various programs that performed the same functions with different back ends. In most implementations, there is now a single passwd command, and the control of where the password is actually changed is handled transparently to the user via pluggable authentication modules (PAMs). For example, the type of hash used is dictated by the configuration of the  module. By default, the MD5 hash has been used, while current modules are also capable of stronger hashes such as blowfish, SHA256 and SHA512.

title: Passwd


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Anvers station

Anvers is a station on Line 2 of the Paris Métro. It is located in Montmartre, on the border of the 9th and the 18th arrondissements.

Location
The station is located under Boulevard Marguerite-de-Rochechouart, at Place d'Anvers. Oriented approximately along an east–west axis, it is located between Pigalle and Barbès - Rochechouart metro stations. In the direction of Nation, it is the last underground station preceding the above ground section of the line.

History
The station was opened on 21 October 1902 as part of the extension of Line 2 from Étoile. It was the eastern terminus of the line until its extension to Bagnolet (now called Alexandre Dumas) on 31 January 1903. The station is named after the Place d'Anvers and the Belgian city of Antwerp (Anvers in French) where French troops won a victory over the Dutch during the siege of the citadel of Antwerp in 1832.

The station is located under the Boulevard de Rochechouart, which was built on the route of the Wall of the Farmers-General in order to enforce the collection of taxation between 1784 and 1791 but demolished in the 19th century. Anvers (Sacré-Cœur) is only station on Line 2 between the Charles de Gaulle—Étoile and the Nation stations that is not built on the site of a gate (or barrière in French) of the wall, which became important intersections and thus, logical places for stations. Instead, Anvers station was placed as close to the foot of the Montmartre funicular as possible. Nevertheless, the Barrière de Rochechouart was at the east, near the junction of the Boulevard de Rochechouart and the Rue de Rochechouart. Also near are the hill of Montmartre and the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur.

From the 1950s to the end of the 2000s, the side walls were covered with metal bodywork with blue horizontal uprights and illuminated golden advertising frames. Before the bodyworks removal as part of the RATP's Renouveau du métro renovation, it was supplemented with shell yellow seats characteristic of the Motte style. The platform modernization work was completed in 2010.

On 1 April 2016, half of the nameplates on the station's platforms were replaced by the RATP to make an April Fool joke for a day, as in twelve other stations. They use the name of the station (without its subtitle), but are humorously turned upside down in order to play on the homophony between Anvers and envers (reverse).

In 2019, 5,643,147 travelers entered this station which placed it at the 67th position of the metro stations for its usage.

Access
The station has a single access entitled Boulevard de Rochechouart - Sacré-Coeur, leading to the central reservation of this boulevard, on Place d'Anvers opposite the similarly named square. Consisting of a fixed staircase, it is adorned with a Guimard entrance, the elements of which were designed by Hector Guimard in 1900 was listed as historic monuments by the decree of 29 May 1978.

Platforms
Anvers is a standard configuration station. It has two platforms separated by the metro tracks and the vault is elliptical. The decoration is of the style used for most metro stations. The lighting canopies are white and rounded in the Gaudin style of the renouveau du métro des années 2000, and the bevelled white ceramic tiles cover the walls, the vault, the tympans and the outlets of the corridors. The advertising frames are in white ceramic and the name of the station is written in the Parisine font on enameled plates. The seats are a green Akiko style.

Bus services
The station is served by lines 54, 85 and the tourist line OpenTour of the RATP Bus Network and, at night, by lines N01 and N02 of the Noctilien network.

The Montmartre Funicular is accessible a few hundred meters away by taking the Rue de Steinkerque.

Nearby

 * Marché de brocante sur le boulevard de Rochechouart
 * Butte Montmartre
 * Sacré-Cœur, Paris
 * Le Trianon (theatre)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Anvers station


text:
William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland

William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland, (24 June 1768 – 27 March 1854), styled Marquess of Titchfield until 1809, was a British politician who served in various positions in the governments of George Canning and Lord Goderich.

Background and education
Portland was the eldest son of Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland and Lady Dorothy, daughter of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire and Charlotte Boyle, Baroness Clifford. He was the elder brother of Lord William Bentinck and Lord Charles Bentinck.

He was educated first in Ealing under the tutelage of Samuel Goodenough graduating in 1774, followed by Westminster School (1783). He attended Christ Church, Oxford for two years but did not take a degree. The third Duke, who spared no expense for his heir, sent him to The Hague in 1786 for experience working with the crown's envoy, Sir James Harris. He returned in 1789.

He later received an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford in 1793. He also served as a Family Trustee of the British Museum; in 1810, he loaned the famed Portland Vase to the museum.

Political career

Portland was Member of Parliament for Petersfield between 1790 and 1791 and for Buckinghamshire between 1791 and 1809.

He served under his father as a Lord of the Treasury between March and September 1807. He remained out of office until April 1827 when he was appointed Lord Privy Seal by his brother-in-law George Canning. He was sworn of the Privy Council the same year. When Lord Goderich became Prime Minister in August 1827, Portland became Lord President of the Council, an office he retained until the government fell in January 1828. Over time the Duke became less of a staunch Conservative, softening to some of the more liberal stances of Canning.

Portland also held the honorary post of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex between 1794 and 1841.

Family
Portland married Henrietta, eldest daughter and heiress of Major-General John Scott of Fife and his wife Margaret (née Dundas), in London on 4 August 1795. At the time of his marriage he obtained Royal Licence to take the name and arms of Scott in addition to that of Cavendish-Bentinck. They were parents of nine children:

 * William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (22 October 1796 – 5 March 1824)
 * Lady Margaret Harriet Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (21 April 1798 – 9 April 1882)
 * Lady Caroline Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (6 July 1799 – 23 January 1828)
 * William John Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland (12 September 1800 – 6 December 1879)
 * Lord William George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (27 February 1802 – 21 September 1848)
 * Lord Henry William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (9 June 1804 – 31 December 1870)
 * Lady Charlotte Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (14 Jan 1806 – 30 September 1889), married Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington
 * Lady Lucy Joan Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (27 August 1807 – 29 July 1899), married Charles Ellis, 6th Baron Howard de Walden
 * Lady Mary Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (8 July 1809 – 20 July 1874), married Sir William Topham

Death and legacy
The Duchess of Portland died on 24 April 1844. Nearly 10 years later, Portland died at the family seat of Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire, in March 1854, aged 85. Two of their sons predeceased their parents; their eldest dying of a brain lesion and their third son dying of a heart attack.

The duke expressed a desire to be buried in the open churchyard in Bolsover, Derbyshire, near the other family seat at Bolsover Castle. However, he was instead interred in the ancient Cavendish vault, that had previously been unopened for 138 years.

He was succeeded in the dukedom by his second son (but the eldest surviving), William.

The department of Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham holds a number of papers relating to Portland: His personal and political papers are part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection while the Portland (London) Collection contains papers relating to his estate business. The Portland Estate Papers held at Nottinghamshire Archives also contain items relating to Portland's properties.

Titles
His full titles were Duke of Portland, Marquess of Titchfield, Earl of Portland, Viscount Woodstock, and Baron Cirencester.

 * The Most Honourable William Cavendish-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (1768–1795)
 * The Most Honourable William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (1795–1809)
 * His Grace The Duke of Portland (1809–1854)

title: William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland


text:
James Turner (North Carolina politician)

James Turner (December 20, 1766 – January 15, 1824) was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1802 to 1805. He later served as a U.S. Senator from 1805 to 1816.

Turner was born in Southampton County in the Colony of Virginia; his family moved to the Province of North Carolina in 1770. Raised in a family of farmers, Turner served in the North Carolina volunteer militia during the American Revolutionary War in 1780. He served under Nathanael Greene alongside Nathaniel Macon, with whom he formed a lasting friendship and political alliance.

Politics
In 1798, Turner was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons; he served there from 1799 to 1800, and served in the North Carolina Senate from 1801 to 1802.

Governor
In 1802, the General Assembly elected John Baptista Ashe governor, but he died before he could assume office; Turner was chosen in his place and sworn in on December 5, 1802. He served the constitutional limit of three one-year terms and, at the end of his time as governor, was elected to the United States Senate when Montfort Stokes resigned before serving the term to which he had been elected.

U.S. Senate
Turner served as a senator for eleven years, re-elected to a second term in 1811, resigning due to ill health in 1816. During his time in office, he supported the administration of James Madison during the War of 1812. Around 1805, he introduced to the Senate a bill outlawing the importation of slaves.

Personal life, death, legacy
Turner was married three times; first to Marian Anderson in 1793 (they had four children), then to Ann Cochran in 1802, with no children, and finally to Elizabeth Johnston in 1810 (resulting in two children). Turner died in 1824 and is buried on his "Bloomsbury" plantation in Warren County. In addition to Bloomsbury, he owned a second home, "Oakland," in present-day Vance County.

His son Daniel Turner served in the US House of Representatives from 1827 to 1829.


text:
Loren Shriver

Loren James Shriver (born September 23, 1944) is a former NASA astronaut, aviator, and a retired US Air Force Colonel.

Career
Shriver graduated from Paton High School in 1962. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1967, and a Master of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1968.

Shriver was commissioned in 1967, and served from 1969 to 1973 as a T-38 academic instructor pilot at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In 1973 he was then assigned to an overseas tour in Thailand until October 1974. Beginning in 1975, he attended the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He was later assigned to the 6512th Test Squadron, and in 1976, he began serving as a test pilot for the F-15 Joint Test Force.

Shriver was selected as an astronaut by NASA in January 1978, participated in three space flights, and logged over 386 hours in space. In September 1982, he was selected as pilot of STS-10, the first Department of Defense mission for the Space Shuttle, but the mission was cancelled. He was pilot of STS-51-C, launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 24, 1985. He commanded a crew of five on his second mission, STS-31 which launched on April 24, 1990. This five-day flight deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. He also commanded mission STS-46 in 1992.

Before his retirement, Shriver was of Deputy Director for Launch and Payload Processing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Before taking this position in 1997, he served as the Space Shuttle program Manager for Launch Integration. He was the vice-president of engineering and integration and chief technology officer with United Space Alliance until his retirement from NASA in 2011.

Personal life
The son of Darrell and Jessie (Drayer) Shriver, he was born in Jefferson, Iowa and is a native of nearby Paton. He and his wife, Susan Diane (née Hane), have three daughters and one son. They reside in Estes Park, Colorado. He has served as commander of American Legion Post 119 in Estes Park from 2018 until the present time.

Awards and honors

 * United States Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross
 * Defense Superior Service Medal
 * Defense Meritorious Service Medal
 * Meritorious Service Medal
 * Air Force Commendation Medal
 * NASA Distinguished Service Medal
 * NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
 * NASA Space Flight Medals
 * American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award, 1990
 * American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Haley Space Flight Award, 1990
 * Astronaut Hall of Fame, May 3, 2008

Unveiled on October 27, 2016, Col. Shriver's image along with Lt. Col. Dwight Eisenhower and Capt. Darrell Lindsey were featured on Greene County's Freedom Rock which is located in front of the grain elevator in Jefferson. His image was painted by Ray "Bubba" Sorensen of Greenfield.

title: Loren Shriver


text:
Talk:Flag of Denmark

Flag
That flag is not accurate; it's much wider. Where does this version come from?

The cross on the Dannebrog is similar to the cross of St Philip.
 * Which Philip is the link meant to point to? Is it Philip the Apostle or somebody else?
 * — Sverdrup 14:25, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The name means "Danish cloth". isn´t correct, everything to do with Denmark, Danish etc, only contains one "n". Instead "danne" means educate, civilize, form, shape etc., i.e. a "dannet mand" means a civilized, well breed man, a gentleman. Therefore "Dannebrog" rather should be translated like "Hounerable Cloth".
 * Not true. This is a quote from a text written in 1527: »Andet Steds haves Efterretning om, at troende Danske i den samme Valdemar den Andens Tid i Aaret 1208 kæmpede i Livland paa et Sted som kaldes Felin, og (da de næsten var slaaede) ydmygt påkaldte Guds Hjælp, da opnaaede de den Naade, at de straks modtog et flag, som faldt ned fra Himlen, tegnet med et hvidt Kors paa en ulden Dug, og da hørte de en Røst fra Luften, som sagde, at naar det blev løftet højt i Vejret, skulle de visselig vinde fuldstændig Sejr over de slagne Fjender, hvad der ogsaa skete. Men dette Flag plejer i Almindelighed at kaldes Danebroge.«
 * Notice the single n. The second n has been added later for some unknown reason. Preisler 11:17, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The former spelling "Danebrog" has been completely replaced by "Dannebrog". This merely reflects a change in pronounciation. 100 years ago, the word was pronunced with a long A- and a short N-sound. Today, the reverse is the case. The same happend to the name of the Danish Medieval fortress of Dannevirke.

It is true that the verb "danne" means to be well-mannered, but that is in modern Danish (and hardly used anymore.) The name "Dannebrog" is many hundreds of years older, and ancient Danish (Norse) and modern Danish have very little in common.

--Valentinian 17:39, 5 May 2005 (UTC) (Historian from Denmark)
 * Danne/dannet is used plenty where I'm from.

the oldest flag of the world has been found in iran shahdad desert kerman and belongs to shahdad lost civilization 3000 BC kept in Tehran national museum. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.146.98.45 (talk) 12:12, 6 June 2013 (UTC) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag

Colour and Proportions
I have no opinion on the best WEB-color to use, but there is a precise standard for eveything - including the color - of a true Danish flag (from the Danish Standards Board):

Dansk Standard Nummer DS 359:2005 Titel Flagdug (Woven fabrics for flags) The standard specifies materials, weaving techniques, quality requirements and dimensions for Danish flags. Issued 2005-03-29 Approved 2005-02-24

The picture of Dannebrog seems to be using a too light tone of red. I know, that standard convention seems to be to use Pantone basic red (032), but that doesn't seem to translate very well to a computer monitor. The images on www.danmarks-samfundet.dk are using RGB=219,0,6, which seems to be much closer.

What do you think about replacing it with this? :

Secondly, shouldn't we be using the correct proportions of 3:1:3 x 3:1:4.5 rather than 3:1:3 x 3:1:5.25. The latter one is supposed to compensate for wear and tear, which we (hopefully) will not be having here.

Rasmus (talk) 30 June 2005 10:44 (UTC)

 * Hello! I think the current flag colour used (PMS032) is fine; red is red.  I also uploaded a smaller image than in prior use: there is no need for such a large image that was actually of inferior quality (due to pixellation/anti-aliasing).  I thought about creating a flag image that was longer; however, this would 'differ' from the specifications that appear with numerous flags below.  Thoughts? E Pluribus Anthony 30 June 2005 11:42 (UTC)

 * Well, here is an actual photo of a Danish flag: http://www.zeppelin-museum.dk/D/german/aktuell/akt2004/HPIM0239a.jpg, as you can see it is not nearly as pale as the one in the article. Also, please note that Pantone is not designed for computer monitors, and while Photoshop can convert Pantone to RGB-values, they do not necessarily replicate the actual Pantone colour.

 * As for the proportions, I am actually arguing for having the flag shorter. The correct proportions for the flag are 28:34. Actual flags are allowed to be slightly longer (28:37), so that there is no risk of them getting too short due to wear.

 * Rasmus (talk) 30 June 2005 13:01 (UTC)

 * Hi there; thanks for your reply. As a designer, I'm aware of the differences inherent with PMS and other colour-matching systems like RGB, CMYK, RSL, etc.; my point is that the colours represented should be official ones, not approximated ... irregardless of approximations when converting them.  This can also apply to photographs, so your perception of what is the correct red may be different from mine (though I do not challenge your belief that the red in the picture is darker than in the flag image).  Without there being an agreed-upon standard for representing colours, the current one should suffice or one be used that can be found on or sampled from a Danish government website depicting the flag.  (This same rationale, by the way, was applied to the Flag of Canada, which uses the same red, and was a collaboration between myself and another user.)

 * Ditto for length: to make everything consistent (i.e., as long as it's authoritative, or has the most commonly used dimensions); however, it would be advisable to edit the appropriate references in-text, as well as the diagrams, too to ensure that the flag represented is consistent. Thoughts?  E Pluribus Anthony 30 June 2005 17:23 (UTC)

Just for info. I can tell that the Danish Military (Navy, Army, Air force, home guard) uses the absolute proportions of the Danish flag e.g. 28x34 (3.1.3 / 3.1.4,5) for the little flag on the uniforms shoulder they started using in 2001. That’s 10 million flags or something like that (they are on all cloth). However if you go and buy a flag, you are nearly sure to get the 28x37 (3.1.3 / 3.1.5,25) proportion. Twthmoses 19:26, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

What is going on with the Danish flag???
I can see that User:E Pluribus Anthony and User:Haabet have had (and still have) a battle of the color of the Danish flag. It constantly changes color.

I do know that colors display different of different monitors, and I do know that there is no absolute color for the Danish flag. Despite that colors display different on monitors, it is not the color that is different; it is the display that is different. xxxx color, set in x paint program, is still color [inset name here], despite that it might look different on x monitor.

I live in Denmark, I see the flag everyday, and to me user:E Pluribus Anthony version is definitely wrong. It is way too light. I have tried it on 6 different monitors now, and short of turning the lights down to barely visible, the flag is definitely way way way to light. I suspect user:E Pluribus Anthony has a very dark monitor.

Lets settle this now. Everybody who has an opinion, please leave some comment.

Civil flag

 * 1 = User:E Pluribus Anthony Anthony version
 * 2 = 186 pure red.
 * 3 = version found on commons.
 * 4 = something between 2 and 3

Stateflag (This has to be the exactly the same color as the civil flag)

 * 1 = User:E Pluribus Anthony version
 * 2 = 186 pure red.
 * 3 = version found on commons.
 * 4 = something!

Naval flag (Deep dark red)

Anybody who has seen this flag in the real is not in doubt, that this is deep dark blood red flag. I’m not even sure any of these are dark enough.

 * 1 = User:E Pluribus Anthony version
 * 2 = 166 pure red.
 * 3 = version found on commons.
 * 4 = something different

Please state what you think is the correct color.

My opinion
 * Civil flag, No. 4 I guess, it looks very close the one used in the Danish military. Stateflag the same. Actually the one above on this page is not bad either. User:E Pluribus Anthony version has to go, that is for sure.
 * Naval flag, No 2 or some mix between no. 2 and no. 3.

Twthmoses 04:03, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

 * If it helps anything, eventually look at www.dannebrog.dk to compare colour. In the versions shown above, I'd prefer the darker ones. G®iffen 15:34, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

In response
Twthmoses, hello! Thanks for the thorough reply. Unfortunately, your summary does not include ANY official references to colour and merely represents your or differing interpretations of what the colour of the Danish flag should be. Does it? Your summary -- coupled with your decision to state a preference and change the image before receiving more input -- may actually constitute original research, which is against Wikipedia policy. Moreover, 'seeing [the flag] everyday' is no reason to advance your contention against others.

The colour referred to on the flag, though contentiously and not officially, is either PMS032 or 'blood red.' A visit to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, though, depicts a flag with the red in the image I created and a photo with a darker red. Moreover, head on over to the Flags of the World website concerning the Danish flag and you will observe the same red as I depicted and other usual tidbits. If you can provide an authoritative reference (i.e., on a government website) otherwise, we can revise the image. E Pluribus Anthony 18:58, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Nahh nahh nah, don’t give me that original research speech. It is you that changed the color of the flag about 1 ½ month ago, without receiving input from others. I mearely changing it back. Before that it was taken either from commons or other version here on wiki. They are not all the same, but they are all darker them yours, and this is the point. Yours is too light. I will settle for any version that is somewhat darker then yours.

 * About the two sources you mentions.
 * The first is not the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs official site, this is the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs official site.
 * What you link to is www.denmark.dk a portal run by Telestyrelsen and - yes - owned by Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is designed - and they have supplied all graphic, unless otherwise stated – by the private company Kontrapunkt (Ritzau Agency and Scanpix supplies news and news photos).

 * FOTW is pure private graphic.

 * And btw neither of the two links you mention shows the same colour as your version here on wiki. www.denmark.dk is 255/26/23 and FOTW 255/0/0, yours is 255/17/17 and your stateflag, which should be the same colour, is 255/36/36.

 * See I can put up sources too, wheather they are better or not I don’t know..

 * Try www.danmark.dk, another portal, also run by Telestyrelsen, but this time it is not owned by Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but by Ministeriet for Videnskab, Teknologi og Udvikling – another ministry in the Danish government. But their flags are much darker! That is probably because another private company supplied the graphic for them.

 * Acording to DS (Dansk Standard) 359 (2005) the colour of the flag is Pantone 186c, which is aprox. RGB #CE1126.(206/17/38)

 * This is the deep red of the Naval flag from Kongehuset http://kongehuset.dk/monarkiet/flag/ . (official danish monarchy site) unfortunatly they don’t show the civil flag, but this red is significent darker then your naval red. Maybe a hint, that your civil flag is also too light.

 * The problem here is that there is no official colour. So what is the best we can do? Look what is most used, right? Go out a see what is used, right?

Twthmoses 17:05, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks for your reply; no offence intended. There is a distinct difference between presenting links to help substantiate information (as I did when challenged about the flag I drew) and presenting information that summarises (but doesn't clearly reference) your contention, as you did in your previous post.  Had you made some authoritative citations then, I would not have indicated possible original research.  As well and as you know, users do not need to seek feedback, but it is desirable.

 * The colour shift on my image must have been the result of the programme I used earlier, but the 255/26/23 red found on the Foreign Ministry portal (which is just as valid, if only in English) is the intended hue. Given: the FOTW website is private, but one would hope that such 'vexillologists' would know better.

 * To that end, thanks for providing your references and sources, THAT hue (that is, the screen representation of PMS 186c) should be used for the flag (even if its official status is unknown), not the prior incorrect renditions. I think they are needed given the ... back-and-forthing as of late.

 * My point in all of this is to not present information -- from you, from me, whoever -- that cannot be corroborated and is more an approximation than anything. I believed I did that, you have now done that, others recently generally have not.  Thanks again! E Pluribus Anthony 19:05, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Consequently, I've uploaded a revised flag using the CorelDraw-rendered PMS 186C red indicated. Enjoy! E Pluribus Anthony 19:48, 13 August 2005 (UTC)

 * The version you uploaded now looks fantastic, at least to me. Great, thanks Twthmoses 16:57, 14 August 2005 (UTC)

New flag image
I've reverted the SVG flag recently uploaded with the prior one. Why? The SVG flag (though potentially superior) has a transparent cross in place of a white background/cross. This is incorrect: monitors that show these subtle differences in colour will reveal a light blue cross (as it does on mine). Please recreate the SVG file with said white cross before using it. Thoughts? Thanks! E Pluribus Anthony 23:28, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yeah, mea culpa. Fixed now. IceKarmaॐ 06:04, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Nice ... thanks! By the way: do you know if there are any other such flag images (i.e., not of Denmark per se) lurking? E Pluribus Anthony 06:47, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The image used a too purple red. I have uploaded a new version using the #ce1126 agreed upon earlier. Rasmus (talk) 21:45, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Hmmmm. Apparently IceKarma reverted my change. I will give him a chance to explain before I rerevert (I might have introduced some other problems - I am not that great with SVG). Rasmus (talk) 09:58, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

I changed the colour of the flag to #d00c33 because that's the value I got back from my software when I converted Pantone 186c to RGB -- specifically, Adobe Photoshop CS2 configured with the "North America General Purpose 2" settings set, which (among other things) entails sRGB IEC1966-2.1 and the Adobe ACE engine in place of Microsoft ICM. Where did you obtain your value? In my opinion, the difference between #d00c33 and #ce1126 is trivial, and it might have been nice for you to contact me via my Talk page before you started changing things without so much as adding a word of explanation anywhere.

I think I'll take this as a hint to stop making flags; despite my best efforts to ensure that I faithfully represent the colours of various flags, I've taken more than enough flak for them from people who seem to be assuming I'm a vandal. IceKarmaॐ 12:00, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Don't stop! You're doing good work; we all just need to discuss when appropriate.  And as you can see above, any of us can go wayward. ;) E Pluribus Anthony 20:46, 27 November 2005 (UTC)

Commonly known?
The flag of Denmark might be more properly called the Dannebrog or it might be the de facto name of the flag, but it isn't more commonly known as the Dannebrog. If you asked the average person on the street whether they knew what the flag of Denmark was you'd be much more likely to get a positive response than if you asked them if they knew what the Dannebrog was. Perhaps in Denmark it's better known as the Dannebrog than as the flag of Denmark, although again I doubt there's anyone in Denmark who knows what the Dannebrog is and does not know what the flag of Denmark is. I'm not too picky on what the final wording is, but the way it stands now is inaccurate. Or maybe I'm wrong here? If someone has a good reason why the first line of the article should remain exactly as it is, I'm more than willing to back down. NoIdeaNick 00:57, 19 January 2006 (UTC)
 * I just made a change to the first paragraph. Hopefully this version is more acceptable (although this version is still somewhat awkward).  I accidentally hit the save page button before entering an edit summary, but my edit was just a few wording changes in the first paragraph. NoIdeaNick 01:03, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

 * Your post here makes very little sense. (Quote) "I doubt there's anyone in Denmark who knows what the Danneborg is..." (unquote). Your assumption is completely wrong! Dannebrog is the official name of the flag and this name is a fundamental part of Danish culture, is this reason good enough for you? A small quote from a patriotic song from the two Wars of Schleswig, seems appropriate here. Den tapre landsoldat (The Brave Soldier) states that og ingen anden fane har som den sit eget navn ... (...and no other banner has its own name). That is an incorrect statement, but Danes used to believe that. The correct name of the flag of France is the Tricolore, and this information should be included there as well. But again: It is both the official and the popular name not just a nickname. It is a very old name. --Valentinian 07:19, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

 * I'm sorry if my post was unclear. I didn't mean to suggest that the name Dannebrog wasn't commonly known in Denmark, simply that it is impossible for that name to be more commonly known than the term flag of Denmark, which is what the article said before.  Clearly anyone who knows what the Dannebrog is knows that it is the flag of Denmark, but it is quite possible that someone knows of the flag of Denmark without knowing that it is called the Dannebrog.  It's a really pedantic, minor point, but I made the post because my first attempt at correcting it was reverted.  Also, do you think you might include the information about that patriotic song in the article?  It's a really interesting fact and could add a lot to the article. NoIdeaNick 13:42, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

I think we pretty much agree. The name Dannebrog is widely used in Scandinavia and probably known in other parts of (Northern) Europe. But if we're talking about an reader in the U.S., the name will probably be unknown. And to any Danes reading this: Yes! I realize that I gave the wrong title of the song. The correct title is - of course - Dengang jeg drog afsted (When I Left [for war]). The song is important in Danish history, but many modern Danes are slightly embarassed by its strong patriotism, since almost every stanza contains one or more complaints against Germany (it was published on 10 April 1848, the day after the Battle of Bov, the first battle in the First War of Schleswig.) I've translated parts relevant in this context, so you can judge for yourself. (copied from http://www.ugle.dk/dengang_jeg_drog_af_sted.html)

Excerpt from Dengang jeg drog afsted (When I Left), by Peter Faber (1800-1870). Stanza four of six is a praise to the Dannebrog (modern spelling used)

 * Om Dannebrog jeg ved,
 * om Dannebrog jeg ved,
 * det faldt fra himlen ned,
 * ja, det faldt fra himlen ned.
 * Det flagrer i vor havn
 * og fra soldatens favn,
 * og ingen anden fane har som den sit eget navn.
 * Og den har tysken hånet og trådt den under fod.
 * Nej, dertil er vor fane for gammel og for god!
 * Og derfor vil jeg slås som tapper landsoldat.
 * Hurra, hurra, hurra!

(Translation:)
 * I know about the Dannebrog
 * I know about the Dannebrog
 * it fell from Heaven down,
 * yes, it fell from Heaven down.
 * It flies above our ports
 * and from the soldier's [ensign's] arms
 * and no other banner has its own name.
 * And the German has mocked this [banner] and stepped it under [his] foot
 * No, for that our banner is too ancient and too good.
 * And that is why I'll fight, as a brave [foot] soldier.
 * Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

The flag returns in the last stanza (I've just added the translation):

 * For [his] girl and country,
 * for [his] girl and country,
 * Every man will fight
 * Yes, every man will fight.
 * And woe that feeble coward
 * who does not love his language
 * and who will not sacifice [his] life and blood for old Dannebrog.
 * But if I don't come back to my old Dad and Mum
 * King Frederick will comfort them with these words:
 * "He kept his promise, the brave foot soldier".
 * Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

It is impossible to translate the full meaning of the text. Suffice it to say, that it was written during the romantic period, and not very straightforward. The first five stanzas all end with "and that is why I'll fight ...".

Due to this song, "Den Tapre Landsoldat" was once considered to be a national icon, and it is the object of the statue Landsoldaten in Fredericia; that is why I mixed up the names. You can see an image on the entry for Fredericia. The statue was commissioned in rememberence of the Prussian siege of Fredericia in 1849, and is believed to be the first example of a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In 1864, the town was occupied by Prussian and Austrian troops but when the Austrian commander heard that the statue was a tribute to all fallen Danish soldiers, he decided to prevent its destruction.

Wikipedia translates this statue's name as The Foot Soldier, but a modern Dane would read the name as The Land-Soldier. In the Danish name, many - including me - add the word "Tapre" (Brave) to show its close connection to the song. --Valentinian 15:36, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

Subtitles in other theories section
The section on other theories of the origin of the flag contains a lot of very interesting information, but the subtitles are somewhat awkward. Perhaps it would be better to title the subsections with the names of the people who came up with the theories rather than with a number? For example, we could have a section titled "Jørgensen's theory" (or something like that) instead of "Theories of the origin of the flag, #4". Any thoughts? I would just be bold and make the changes myself, right now, but I don't know much about the topic and I don't want to make a mistake as I did with my edits to the first line. I think this article is very interesting, but right now there are parts of it that are very awkwardly written and I'd like to help improve the quality of the writing if I can. NoIdeaNick 13:54, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

Muhammad cartoons/drawings and the burning of the flag

 * I'd respectfully suggest not doing so. The Muhammed cartoons is all over the place with pages about the controversy, timelines of it, the Akkari dossier, the Jyllands-Posten page etc. --Valentinian (talk) 12:54, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

 * If you must include a Dannebrog photo in the article, then how about adding this - slightly less provocative picture - to illustrate its use in recent current events? =J //Big Adamsky 18:24, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

 * It's a good picture and a good idea. --Valentinian (talk) 23:11, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

 * It is a nice picture, but unfortunately it is only fair use. While my understanding of American copyright law is limited, I don't think we can claim fair use in this article. Rasmus (talk) 07:39, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

 * The "Flag war" on Hans Island, I think. Rasmus (talk) 09:48, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

 * But sadly the uploader of this image has added a tag that states that it is believed that the use of this [image] in the article "Hans Island" qualifies as fair use [...]. Any other uses of this image, on Wikipedia or elsewhere, may be copyright infringement. So in other words, it is probably inappropriate to use in this article. =[ //Big Adamsky 13:29, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

 * Correct, it is from the "flag war". Hmm, I don't know what the Danish Navy's position is on copyright issues. I haven't checked if they have a policy. Valentinian (talk) 12:58, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

 * There is no equivalent to the US "products of the government employees are public domain" in Denmark (except for the text of laws etc.), so I would be majorly surprised if the image was copyright-free. I have been surprised many times before, though :) Rasmus (talk) 13:14, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

 * I know, but perhaps they *might* have released it as a "press photo". In most cases, I presume that would mean an acceptance of reprinting. But no, I haven't checked the Navy's website. Valentinian (talk) 13:19, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

 * Ah, sorry. I might have taken the trouble to see that you were Danish, too. No need to lecture to you about the status of copyright in Denmark :) According to :
 * "Indholdet i bladet kan frit citeres med angivelse af kilde. Billedmateriale dog kun efter aftale med Redaktionen",
 * we need permission in order to use the picture. Rasmus (talk) 13:45, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

Oldest?
The article Flag of Austria states that the oldest design of the current Austrian flag dates back to 1230, while this article says the Danish flag is from the 14th Century (1300s). Thus, one or the other has to be wrong. Is it the date in Flag of Austria, or should this article's wording on the topic be changed? --HJV 00:08, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

 * AFAIK, Austria used a different flag for a long period of time, so in any case, the Danish flag seems to be the oldest state flag in continuous use. But it would be nice to hear some more input regarding the history of the Babenberger flag. Valentinian T / C 12:03, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

The Red Dragon flag of Wales is mentioned in the Historia Brittonum, approx. 830 AD.Steve Graham (talk) 10:22, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Flags of most countries have some historical base and/or use some symbols from very old ages but because description of Danish flag was defined in 14th Century and since that time has never been changed or altered in any way it is considered to be the oldest flag —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thorbins (talk • contribs) 17:39, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Did Iceland also use Danebrog
Did Iceland also use Danebrog before they got independent?

 * I'm pretty sure the Dannebrog remained official until Iceland cut the last ties to Denmark in 1944, but Iceland's current flag was no doubt the preferred flag, and used since at least 1915 (see: Flag of Iceland). It seems that Icelandic republicans had also used an earlier blue-white flag before the current one was adopted. Until around 1900, the Danneborg must have been the only flag in use, just like in Norway before 1814. Valentinian (talk) 23:29, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

--

Dannebrog can be seen as a continuation of the banner or standard, that was used by the Knights Hospitaller in the 13th Century and maybe even before - they were founded to protect or work for St.John's Hospital in Jerusalem in the early 11th Century. They were given privileges by the Danish King Valdemar I (den Store = the Great), and all Danes had to pay a special tax, that were meant for them. Danish historians don't doubt, that the Hospitallers were part of the Danish crusade in the Baltic Sea, when the army also went to Estonia, where Dannebrog "fell down from heaven". Flags don't do such things, and even if the details are not known, it's seen as most likely, that the Hospitaller's banner or standard became Denmark's flag from that day (June 15th 1219). No written proof exists, it's "argumentum a silentio" (Argument from silence, look it up in Wikipedia). Find more in the newest Danish books on this period. Jan Eskildsen - Yes I am a Dane. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.162.150.154 (talk) 18:23, 1 January 2008 (UTC)

Moved from article space
I've moved the following section from article space since most of it is incomprehensible without the original (deleted) image. We need to find a new image. Valentinian T / C 12:32, 17 February 2007 (UTC) (quote)

Who may use what?
1. Stutflag: This is the national flag of Denmark and is used by for all civilian purposes including the merchant navy. Any Dane can have a flagpole in the garden and use the flag according to the law. When the flag is not hoisted, for instance during darkness, a long narrow version called a vimpel or a wider version called a stander can be flown.

2. Splitflag: The use of the swallow-tail flag is restricted to the Danish Government and Navy. Note: The Naval Flag has a darker hue than the State Flag. Private yachts and motor boats are allowed to use the Naval Flag with the letters Y.F.(for Yacht Flag) superimposed in the upper canton. This flag is not allowed on boats for hire.

3. Kongeflag (literally: The King's Flag): This is the flag of the Monarch. It is currently used by H.M. Queen Margrethe II.

4. Dronningeflag (literally: The Queen's flag). This is the flag of the consort of the monarch. The main difference from the flag of the monarch is that this version of the royal coat-of-arms lacks the supporters, two wild men. This flag was used by H.M. Queen Ingrid, and is currently not in use, since the Prince Consort, H.R.H. Prince Henrik uses a special flag with a his personal coat of arms in the centre (originally, he used a flag with a crowned "H" in the centre).

5. Rigsforstanderflag: This flag is used by the leading member of the Royal Family when the Queen is abroad, and shows that the person currently assumes the constitutional duties of the Monarch. This person remains the de facto Monarch, until the Monarch returns to Danish territory.

6. Tronfølgerflag: This is the flag of the Crown Prince of Denmark, currently H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik.

7. Kongehusflag: This flag can be used by any member of the Danish Royal Family.

8. Forsvarsminister: This is the flag of the Minister of Defence.

9. Admiral: Used on a ship to indicate that an Admiral is on board.

10. Viceadmiral: Used on a ship to indicate that a Vice Admiral is on board.

11. Kontreadmiral: Used on a ship to indicate that an Rear Admiral is on board.

12. Postflag: This is the former flag of the Royal Danish Mail and Telegraph (Danish: Kongelig Post og Telegrafvæsen), now Post Danmark.

13. Statens skibe: This flag is used on ships owned by the Danish State.

14. DSB: This flag is used by the DSB, the state railway company (Danske Statsbaner).

15. Havnepoliti: This is used by the Danish harbour police.

(unquote)

Stutflag and splitflag
I think there is a problem with terminology on this page. However, I hesitate to rush in and edit text written by peope who have obviously done much more research on this than I.

The article gives the impression that "stutflag" is Danish the flag used on land, and that the Danish "koffardiflag" happens to be identical to this. Actually that is not the case. A stutflag is any rectangular flag. Every version of the Stars and Stripes known to me is a "stutflag". I believe the English term is "square". "Koffardiflag" is one of the uses of the Danish "stutflag".

Similarly one gets the impression that "splitflag" is a name of the Danish state flag, and at the naval flag is not a "splitflag". Any swallowtail is a "splitflag". The state flag is a "splitflag" in the same colors as the national flag, the navy flag is a "splitflag" the color of clotted blood.

Would it not be better to leave out these Danish terms alltogether? Why write "splitflag" when English has the word "swallowtail" of the same meaning? "Square" might need to be explained to those not familliar with its special meaning in this context, but so does "stutflag".

--Klausok 07:40, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

Flag of Scotland
I've removed a statement claiming that the flag of Scotland is the world's oldest national flag (in contrast to a "state flag"). This topic has been the object of a very long edit war on the flag article between Scottish and Spanish editors, since Aragon's Senyera claims the same title. No consensus seems to be emerging regarding this issue, and I believe a Persian editor has even claimed that a Persian flag is even older (can't remember the specifics of this example, though.) Anyway, information of this nature has little relevance for this article, since it does not affect the object of the article, and this edit war should not be brought over here. I don't consider information about the Dannebrog relevant in the article about the Scottish flag, either. Valentinian T / C 23:24, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

Similarities with other flags
It is funny, there are many theories on the origins of the flag of Denmark, but none of them seem to notice or explain de similarities between:

 * the flag of Denmark,

 * the seal of Vienna,

 * the war flag of the Holy Roman Empire in 13th and 14th century,

 * the flag of Savoy,

 * the flag of the knights Hospitalers and former flag of Malta,

 * the Swiss flag (it was redesigned in 1889 to add the red border around the cross).

What’s more, in all cases, they seem to have appeared around the 12th or 13th century. Is this a coincidence? Could it be that people separated by hundred of kilometres had the same idea at the same time? I doubt it. --Percht (talk) 13:53, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

Well it's not like this design is very complex and Denmark actually bordered Holy Roman Empire, Vienna and Savoy were part of it, for Hospitaliers Malta was last stronghold they had and they relocated there much later (around 16 century), at 12th or 13th they had headquarters in Jerusalem; and order itself was created by Pope whose office is in Rome (not so far away form HRE) and he may impose this flag for Hospitaliers for whatever reason, finally Switzerland as whole didn't really had any kind of common symbol before 15th century, each canton used its own flag, and generally before 19th century Switzerland was kind of permanent alliance like NATO rather than a country. Also some of these flags have certain differences in design, especially Danneborg. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thorbins (talk • contribs) 18:31, 29 November 2009 (UTC)
 * There's also a theory that it's a continuation of the raven flag used by the viking age Danish kings. The theory is that the "wings" of the raven was just made straight to make it into a cross. If true (and I have no good sources for the theory), that makes the Danish flag a continuation of a flag that is from somewhere around the 8th century, perhaps even as old as the 6th century.

Civil Flag/Ensign
According to the vexillological icon below the Danneborg(Koffardiflaget), it is only a state flag, but from National Flag Section of the article you may say that it is also Civil Flag and Civil Ensign(article clearly says that civil flag and civil ensign are same but also do not mention any differenses with state flag) so think we should change vexillological icon, or if there are some differense between these flags we should provide explonation of them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.242.4.32 (talk) 15:39, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

I changed the symbol, if somebody have reasons to change it back, write them here or add information to the article about differences between state and civil flags —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thorbins (talk • contribs) 09:55, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Flagpole proportions to flag.
Besides rules for the proportions of the flag there is also rules in for the size of the flag pole compared to the size of the flag, and there are rules for exactly where the flag should be on the pole for "half staff". I think this information belongs in this article as well. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jesper Jurcenoks (talk • contribs) 20:53, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

Flage for Fanden / Flag for the Devil.
There are rules for when you can flag, like not before sunrise or after sunset, and rules for the flag not touching the ground. Are these only traditions, are they considered superstition, is there an actual law ?

21:02, 7 July 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jesper Jurcenoks (talk • contribs)

 * Unlike many other nations, Denmark has no "flag law" but "Danmarks-Samfundet" has published a publication about conventional use of the flag ("Sådan bruges Dannebrog" ) which mentions the rule you refer to as "fly the flag no earlier than 8 AM and no later than sunset", unless the flag is illuminated by a strong electric light. In popular terminology violation of this rule is indeed known as "Flying the flag for the Devil" (at flage for Fanden). In addition to the two rules you mention, a third one is rather important: a damaged flag must never be used. It must either be displayed is a glass case hanging on a wall (if of historical interest) or destroyed by fire. At first sight, the last option sounds odd or harsh, but the intention is that a flag must never be dishonoured by being disposed of as garbage [read: "be thrown on a dung heap"]. So a flag damaged beyond repair is to be burned in a dignified fashion. In addition, Danish law explicitly permits the flying of the Danish flag and the flags of the other Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland) and by extention the flags of the Faroes, Greenland, and Åland. Later this law was amended to legalise flying the flag of the EU and of the UN. However, flying all other flags is forbidden unless temporary permission is granted by the local police, and in such cases the Dannebrog must be flown with the foreign flag and on a more prominent position. This rule is of particular importance in South Jutland, since the German flag is treated like all other non-Nordic flags. Valentinian T / C 22:01, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

 * I see that here is no source for this superstition. I have never heard of it. My impression (but I have no source either) is that there is a tradition that a national or similar flag must never touch the ground or floor as this would indicate disrespect for the nation it represents.--Klausok (talk) 07:23, 23 February 2011 (UTC)

 * Danmarks-Samfundet mentions the rule about ensuring that the flag shouldn't touch the ground, (p. 23), and describes it as essentially a practical tradition [to avoid damaging the flag], and that the basic intention is to treat the flag with dignity. . In addition, some organisations have their own rules to observe as well (e.g. the army must have rules covering this issue). 2.107.68.46 (talk) 14:05, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Taken from the Holy Roman Empire?
The flag looks very similar to the flag of the Holy Roman Empire (right). Is that its origin? 88.91.14.78 (talk) 14:20, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
 * That is one theory, and several Danish kings were indeed vassals of the Holy Roman Emperor. In Denmark, a more popular theory is that it is simply a crusader flag. It is very similar to the flag of the Knights of St. John ("Johannitterne"; see the sections on "Caspar Paludan-Müller and "Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen"), and btw also similar to the flag of Savoy. Unfortunately the earliest historical record of the flag is the Gelre Armorial from c. 1370-1380 which is a good historical source, but the legend of the Battle of Lyndanisse with the flag falling from the sky on 5 June 1219 is not documented earlier than the 16th century. The origins of the flag remain obscure. Valentinian T / C 22:14, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

isn´t the flag of the holy roman empire the origin for the flag of savoy? 78.50.50.232 (talk) 16:17, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

The part of the legend where the priest's/archbishop's arms are held up sounds unusually similar to Exodus 17, the battle against the Amalekites. Should this parallel be mentioned in the article? 72.23.224.231 (talk) 22:03, 29 April 2014 (UTC)

Raven banner as precursor
I'm fairly skeptical to the following statement in the lead:

"Prior to the use of Dannebrog, Danish forces are known to have used the raven banner."

I removed the statement recently but was reverted with the motivation that "Denmark goes back at least to 950 AD".

This amounts to a very broad statement that implies that the raven banner somehow preceded the Dannebrog as a national flag. This in my view a somewhat dubious extension of Danish national history back into a time when no Danish nation state, or indeed any nation state, existed. What is the motivation for including this statement, and why is it in the lead? Are there any reliable sources to back it up?

Peter Isotalo 20:16, 30 January 2012 (UTC)

Maybe I was a bit hasty in reinstating the sentence. I did it because the reason given for removal is quite certainly not correct. The kingdom of Denmark did exist long before the first appearance, attested or legendary, of Dannebrog.

But even though the removed sentence is correct, it may not be relevant. While the raven banner was used by "forces", groups of warriors, who were Danish, it was not a national symbol. So this may not belong in the lead. A link under "See also" would be enough, I think. Klausok (talk) 07:39, 31 January 2012 (UTC)

 * It seems we're in agreement about the solution. "See also" is a reasonable alternative, but I personally would have nothing against mentioning that the raven banner was used by Scandinavians, including Danes, before the Dannebrog appeared. As long as we avoid implications of the raven banner as a "national" flag, we should be okay.
 * Peter Isotalo 14:17, 31 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Besides, there are lots of unlikely stories in many popular histories of nation-states, regarding symbols claimed as national. "There are unsubstantiated though popular traditions, etc."
 * Nuttyskin (talk) 03:27, 15 April 2023 (UTC)

The "1219" red herring
The Guinness Book of Records is not a credible vexillological source. You may use it to cite that there is a popular meme of the flag being the "oldest state flag, adopted 1219", but this doesn't make it so. There was no concept of "state flag" in 1219, and Wikipedia can do better than parrot soundbites from the Guinness Book of Records.

By all means discuss the flag's pre-modern history. There are many flags which have medieval precedents. If the flag of Denmark was adopted in 1219, why, the flag of Switzerland was "adopted" around 1200, because it "is" the Reichssturmfahne. In reality, the Reichssturmfahne is a medieval precedent of both the Danish and the Swiss flag, which by a complicated history of the development of the idea of modern statehood was adopted as the respective national flags, with slight modern design variations, in the modern era. --dab (𒁳) 11:06, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

 * I don't disagree that the 1219 is a myth. My main objection was to your seemingly random choice of the 1748 date for adoption. I have now changed it to the earliest documented use cited with the official denmark.dk site. --Saddhiyama (talk) 11:13, 15 February 2013 (UTC)
 * And the Guinness Book of Records is certainly a reliable source regarding claims made by the Guinness Book of Records. It would perhaps be a questionable source if the wording was "Dannebrog is the "oldest state flag" in the world still in use by an independent nation" and nothing more, but if you read the sentence it states that the Guinness Book of Records "dubbed Dannebrog the "oldest state flag" in the world still in use by an independent nation". --Saddhiyama (talk) 11:17, 15 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Interestingly, the paragraph you've quoted above doesn't mention the Gelre Armorial, which features the first coloured drawing of the coat-of-arms of Denmark as well as an accompanying Dannebrog banner. It it normally dated to somewhere between 1370 and 1386, and the Danish National Archives considers this image to be the first known image of the Dannebrog.. That indicates an origin of the Danish flag somewhere in the late 14th century. 2.107.68.46 (talk) 12:48, 1 April 2013 (UTC)

I don't know why this is so difficult. The history of the flag of Denmark is entirely typical. The flags of England, Switzerland and various other European countries are exactly parallel. The problem is not identifying a white-on-red cross in some flag from the Middle Ages. The point is that such flags cannot be "national flags" because there were no national flags at that time. It is pure selection bias to go back in time and pick out the flag which would eventually be chosen as national flag. The development goes as follows, in almost every case This is exactly the story of the flag of Denmark, as it is of the flag of England and many others. There is nothing difficult or unusual about this, the only problem is the semantics of the term "national flag". The red-on-white cross was used, alongside numerous other colour combinations, by the crusaders in the 12th century. You can trace lots of red-on-white crosses during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries without their being "Danish national flags" even if some of them happen to pop up in Denmark, or happen to be used by a Danish king. Yes, the Danish flag has a continuous history going back to the crusades, nobody is denying that. Its official introduction as the national flag of Denmark still dates to 1892. Not because the design didn't exist before, but because countries didn't feel the need to define an "official national flag" before that time. --dab (𒁳) 12:21, 24 April 2013 (UTC)
 * field signs, from the High Middle Ages.
 * "commune flags", arguably the first "national flags" in any conceivable sense, of the Italian city states of the 14th and 15th centuries.
 * naval ensigns in the 16th and 17th centuries
 * actual national flags from the 18th century at the earliest, more likely 19th century

Fwiiw, the earliest reference to the flag by the name of Dannebrog I can find date to the 18th century (1744). But the establishment of an Order of the Dannebrog in 1671 seems to suggest that the flag was known by this name already in the 17th, possibly in the 16th. As the 1744 reference uses the term in reference to Dithmarschen, I find it plausible to assume that the term came into use in this context at some point after 1500. It remains to be researched whether the term is attested in the 16th century. Perhaps the current article means to imply that Dannebrog is attested in 1558 when it states
 * This legend is found in two sources, Hans Svaning's History of King Hans from 1558–1559 and Johan Rantzau's History about the Last Dithmarschen War, from 1569. Both claim that this was the original flag, and consequently both writers knew the legend of the falling flag. In 1576, the son of Johan Rantzau, Henrik Rantzau, also writes about the war and the fate of the flag.

If these sources do use the word "Dannebrog", this should be made explicit. --dab (𒁳) 12:45, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

The article was still harping on earliest use of the flag when it was actually discussing seals, and coins, and coats of arms showing crosses. Sigh. A coin is not a flag. We know the cross was used as a symbol of Christianity ever since Denmark became Christian. The earliest picture of a flag is that of 1397. So if you want to discuss an "earliest flag", use that. Of course, there was no concept of "national flag" at the time, but at least you can say there is a flag. --dab (𒁳) 09:25, 26 October 2014 (UTC)

 * The earliest written evidence stems from the early 16th century, in Christiern Pedersens Chronicles of Denmark, where he mentions that Eric of Pomerania brought various artifacts with him when he left the country, amongst them "Danebroge, ... a banner which God sent the men of Denmark from the sky by his holy angel, that they should lead them into war between them and their enemies, which they often did and won great prize and honour" (Chr. Pedersen, Danske Skrifter, vol. V, (440), 488). The German historian Johann Adolf Köster (also known as Neocorus) wrote the same thing, but claiming that the flag incident occurred in Russia (Neocorus, Chronik Ditmarschens, I 489, II 232). The third source is the monk of the Danish Franciscan friar Peder Olsen (Petrus Olai Saneropius, died 1570), who mentions the incident in his manuscript of Danish chronicles, but places the incident in 1208 in Felin, Estonia. Concerning pictorial evidence we have various depictions, the earliest being on the seal of Valdemar IV of Denmark (it can be seen on the right on the awning), on the seal of Eric of Pomerania (who was mentioned by the sources as having had the "original" Dannebrog in his possession, it can be seen being held by the 3 lions), it is depicted on a mural from 1498 in Roskilde Cathedral used as a shipsflag on the ship carrying the head of the Saint Lucius, it is shown on the title page of Christiern Pedersen edition of the Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus from 1514, where there is an illustration of the Danish king and his knights holding a Dannebrog banner. This is all information from A.D. Jørgensen, "Om Danebroges Oprindelse", in: Historiske Afhandlinger, vol. 2., 1899. In that source Jørgensen also claims that the word Danebrog precedes the crossflag, since its construction suggests an origin in Old Danish. I am not that wellversed in Medieval history or linguistics, so I do not know what the status of that claim is in current scholarship, but suffice it to say that the word "Dannebrog" is certainly much older than the 18th century. --Saddhiyama (talk) 16:44, 29 January 2015 (UTC)

Hm, apparently the "origin legend" is of such importance in Danish historiography that it may even need its own article. In any case, it seems obvious that the flag directly derives from the 12th-century crusader flags (Hospitaller, Reichsfahne). It was certainly used in Denmark in the 13th century, and it becomes increasingly part of the royal insignia in the 14th century. However, this article is supposed to be about the national flag of Denmark, and the article is almost comically missing any information on that. We have some coverage on the use as maritime flag in the early modern period, but we have nothing on its introduction and use as the modern national flag. --dab (𒁳) 09:28, 11 July 2016 (UTC)

I found the text of the 1854 regulation which allowed the flag's use. It contains the term nationalflag in reference to other nations' flags (consulates are allowed to "fly their respective national flags"), this seems to imply that the Dannebrog is considered the nationalflag at this point, but it is not made explicit. Conspicuously missing are references to the regulations of 1892 and 1893 which seem to have introduced official specifications for the flag as used as national flag of Denmark. It is possible that 1892 should be the date of offical introduction as national flag (as opposed to military flag), but not even the Danish article has references to these (in spite of referring to their content). --dab (𒁳) 11:08, 11 July 2016 (UTC)

Color again
In my eyes, all the SVG flags are purplish maroon, not red as I have learned to know the flag. Red is also the color that the photos exhibit. I am not color blind, ergo the SVG images must be erroneously colored. Could someone not color blind perhaps please fix them? Rursus dixit. ( m bork3 !) 18:14, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

 * From Denmark — Flag colours I get  Pantone 185U (National flag land use), and from the pantone colorfinder I snapshot a color code of #e00034 (perusing the Gimp snapshot function). For naval war use the color should instead be Pantone 193U giving indeed purplish maroon, encoded with #bb133e . (The derived RGB code on the refered Flag colours page seem to be incorrect). Rursus dixit. ( m bork3  !) 18:46, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

 * The SVG images have #d00c33 for the land flag and #a50021 for the naval war flag. Rursus dixit. ( m bork3 !) 18:53, 27 October 2013 (UTC)

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Battle of Lyndanisse
Is there any reason to use the Estonian spelling in what is essentially an article on Danish history? The battle of Lyndanisse is always so called in Danish (where y and i are pronounced differentl). The article linked is called Battle of Lyndanisse. --Klausok (talk) 17:05, 11 August 2018 (UTC)

Vertical rotated source
@Durian Farmer Do you have a source about the Vertical rotated symbol added to the danish flag? ChaseYUL99 (talk) 20:01, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

 * meant to type "Vertical normal" sorry Durian Farmer (talk) 20:13, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

1625?
The infobox uses 1625 as date of adoption, but this information is not found anywhere else in the page. The source given i the Guinnes Book fo Records, which is not a reliable source and which doe snot provide any further details on this date. Where does it come from? Is it even accurate? Eccekevin (talk) 06:16, 22 December 2022 (UTC)

Add flag of Christiania to "Other flags in the Kingdom of Denmark" section?
It could fit with the flag of Ærø, Bornholm and the others. LaggyMcStab (talk) 08:16, 26 September 2023 (UTC)

ratio
Based on the 1748 regulation, which is still in force, according to the danish legal database, the construction should be

white cross: 1/7 of height; red squares: 4; red rectangles: 6x4

multiplying by 3 for convenience gives 12 + 4 + 12 = 28 (4 being 1/7 of 28) by 12 + 4 + 18 = 34

And yet the construction graphic and the article say its 28 by 37 with no source given. The danish article is terribly sourced as well, but at one point states the correct ratio is 28:34, but 28:37 is used to give the flag a "slidkant", which apparently means an extra piece to cut off once it gets frayed, to increase the lifespan of the flag. While sensible, that wouldnt be the official ratio of the flag, since the 1748 regulation says otherwise. (this post by the ministry of justice says the flag "doesn't come in one size" which isn't exactly helpful here )

Is there any modern danish regulation on the flag that clears this up? Right now the article only contains an unsourced claim of an 1894 police regulation which tells officers to overlook slightly longer flags (presumably because people added the "slidkant"), which also does not affect the official ratio of the flag. The only construction guide we have results in a different ratio than what the article states and the construction guide shows (which seems to be based on something a polish wiki user made in 2006, but is also used in the danish wiki).

If no one can clarify this using official sources I'm just gonna write the foreign ministry. — jonas (talk) 00:58, 20 July 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Flag of Denmark


text:
List of lieutenant governors of Prince Edward Island

The following is a list of the governors and lieutenant governors of Prince Edward Island, known as St. John's Island until 1799. Though the present day office of the lieutenant governor in Prince Edward Island came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1873, the post is a continuation from the first governorship of St. John's Island in 1769.


text:
Barbès–Rochechouart station

Barbès–Rochechouart is a station on Line 2 and Line 4 of the Paris Métro. Situated at the location where the 9th, 10th and 18th arrondissements all share a border point, the station is at the junction of Boulevard Barbès, named for the revolutionary Armand Barbès, the Boulevard de Rochechouart, named for the abbess, Marguerite de Rochechouart, Boulevard de la Chapelle and Boulevard de Magenta.

Location
The station is located at the intersection of four boulevards: Boulevard de Magenta, Boulevard de la Chapelle, Boulevard Barbès and Boulevard Marguerite-de-Rochechouart.

The station is the former location of the Barrière Poissonnière, a gate in the Wall of the Farmers-General built for the collection of excise taxes (the octroi). The gate was built between 1784 and 1788, and it was demolished in the nineteenth century.

History
The elevated Line 2 station was opened on 31 January 1903 as Boulevard Barbès station, as part of the extension of Line 2 from Anvers to Bagnolet'(now called Alexandre Dumas). It was renamed to its current name eight days later. Line 2 descends into a tunnel to the west of the station. The underground Line 4 station was opened on 21 April 1908 as part of the first section of the line from Châtelet to Porte de Clignancourt.

The disastrous fire of 10 August 1903 that resulted in eighty deaths at Couronnes station began at Barbès–Rochechouart. During World War II, on 21 August 1941, Pierre Georges and three companions of the French Resistance shot and killed a German naval cadet named Alfons Moser when he was boarding a train at the Barbès station at eight in the morning. The killing was in revenge for the execution of Samuel Tyszelman for taking part in an anti-German demonstration. This was the start of a series of assassinations and reprisals that resulted in five hundred French hostages being executed in the next few months.

During work carried out in 1987, the Hector Guimard's entrance was transferred to the Bolivar metro station. The station was renovated in 1998.

On 2 December 2016, a train derailed at the station, with no casualties but blocked traffic for 48 hours on part of the line. The derailment was caused by the fall of an inverter boot from the train, located under the body of car.

In 2019, 7,974,496 travelers entered this station which placed it at the 29th position of the metro stations for its usage.

Access
Access to the Barbès-Rochechouart metro station is located on Boulevard Marguerite-de-Rochechouart, Boulevard Barbès and Boulevard de la Chapelle at the limit of the 9th, 10th and 18th arrondissements of Paris.

Platforms
The two lines have standard configuration stations with two platforms framing the two tracks.

The station of line 2 is elevated, located on a viaduct which ends shortly after leaving the station in the direction of Porte Dauphine. The platforms of line 4 are underground and curved. In the direction of Porte de Clignancourt, it is possible to see the Château Rouge station.

As part of the automation of line 4, its station is being modernized, leading to the removal of its Ouï-dire style. Its platforms have been raised to accommodate landing doors.

Bus connections
The station is served by lines 31, 54, 56 and 85 of the RATP Bus Network and, at night, by lines N01, N02, N14 and N44 of the Noctilien network.

Nearby

 * The environment of the station, very cosmopolitan, on the edge of the Goutte d'Or district, is often associated with the immigrants, mainly from North Africa, but also from sub-Saharan Africa. It includes many retail and import businesses and department stores, including the Tati brand.
 * Butte Montmartre, to the northwest, attracts many tourists.
 * The Barbès market is located on Boulevard de la Chapelle, under the overhead metro viaduct.
 * Le Louxor cinema, fully restored in 2013, has a terrace overlooking the metro station.
 * The Lariboisière Hospital, establishment of the Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), is to the south-east of the station.

title: Barbès–Rochechouart station


text:
William Richardson Davie

William Richardson Davie (June 20, 1756 – November 29, 1820) was an American statesman, politician, military general, Founding Father of the United States who served as the 10th Governor of North Carolina from 1798 to 1799. A member of the Federalist Party, Davie also served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention as a representative of North Carolina. He is also one of the key founders of the University of North Carolina.

Early life
Davie was born in Egremont, County Cumberland in North West England, where his father Archibald Davie, who is listed in the 1790 census as living in Chester, South Carolina, had settled with his mother, Mary Richardson, whose family came from Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He immigrated to the American colonies in 1764 when his father brought him to the Waxhaws region near Lancaster, South Carolina. He was named for his maternal uncle, William Richardson, a prominent Presbyterian minister in South Carolina, and when Richardson died, Davie inherited 1 acre of his land, five enslaved people, and an extensive library. After that, he always used his full name to honor his uncle. Davie was educated by the young Presbyterian teacher Joseph Alexander at Queen's Museum, later Liberty Hall, in Charlotte. He then matriculated at Alexander's alma mater, the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), graduating in 1776. One of his teachers at Princeton was fellow Carolinian William Churchill Houston. Davie and classmate Jonathan Dayton would serve with Houston as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, while two other fellow students would also be among the framers: James Madison and Gunning Bedford, Jr.

Revolutionary War
After leaving New Jersey, Davie began to study law in Salisbury, North Carolina, under Spruce Macay (pronounced "Muh-coy"), who would later provide Andrew Jackson with legal training. In December 1778, Davie left Salisbury to join 1,200 militiamen led by Brigadier General Allen Jones of Northampton County, NC. Jones's force advanced toward Charleston, South Carolina, intending to aid the port city as it prepared its defenses against possible British assault. That threat receded, so Davie and the rest of Jones's men returned to North Carolina after marching as far south as Camden, South Carolina.

After briefly resuming his studies in Salisbury, Davie closed his law books again in the spring of 1779 to re-enter military service. This time, though, Davie did not volunteer for an existing force; he helped to raise and train a local cavalry troop. For his work in forming "a Company of Horses in the District of Salisbury," he received a lieutenant's commission in April from North Carolina Governor Richard Caswell.

Davie did not remain in that junior rank for long. In May 1779, he and his company were attached to the legion of General Casimir Pułaski, who moved from Pennsylvania to South Carolina earlier in the year to help bolster American positions in and around Charleston. Promoted to the rank of major under Pulaski, Davie assumed command of a brigade of cavalry. On June 20, 1779, just two days shy of his twenty-third birthday, Davie led a charge against British forces at the Battle of Stono Ferry outside Charleston. He suffered a serious wound to his thigh in that engagement, fell from his horse, and narrowly escaped capture.

While convalescing from his injuries, Davie resumed his legal studies in Salisbury. The citizenry presented him with an honorary sword for his exemplary conduct and courage. Soon he completed or "stood" his examinations and, in November 1779, obtained a license to practice law in South Carolina. In the late spring and summer of the following year, Davie, now fully recovered, formed an independent cavalry company again. He led that mounted force in several actions during the summer of 1780.

Shortly after the Battle of Hanging Rock, Davie received word of a new army moving into South Carolina under General Horatio Gates. Gates was soundly defeated at the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780. While the Continentals fought hard, his militia largely fled without much, if any, of a fight. Gates and what remained of his army fell back into North Carolina. Davie narrowly missed the battle. Instead of retreating north along with Gates and the remnants of the American army, Davie moved south towards the enemy and Camden to recover supply wagons and gather intelligence on enemy movements. In the time between Camden and the Battle of Kings Mountain, in October 1780, Davie's cavalry was the only unbroken corps between the British army and what was left of the Continental forces.

Davie's most audacious action as a cavalry officer came at the Battle of Charlotte on September 26, 1780. Ordered to cover the American army retreat and hinder the British invasion of North Carolina, Davie, now a colonel, and 150 of his mounted militia set up a defense in what was then the small village of Charlotte, North Carolina. He dismounted several of his men and had them take station behind a stone wall at the summit of a hill in the center of town. Other dismounted soldiers were scattered on the flanks with a reserve of cavalry.

At about noon, the British army under General Lord Cornwallis appeared. Cornwallis' forces numbered at least 2,000 Redcoats and loyalists. After three charges of British cavalry and infantry moving on his right flank, Davie and his men retreated northward. Cornwallis subsequently occupied Charlotte, but he remained there less than two weeks, withdrawing his forces from the "hornets' nest" after receiving news of the defeat of Loyalist forces by backcountry militia at the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780. As Cornwallis's army marched back toward South Carolina, Davie directed his men to shadow and skirmish with enemy units and to disrupt and intercept their communications.

Davie's military service in the Revolution changed dramatically after December 1780, when General Nathanael Greene arrived in North Carolina to take command of the American army in the "Southern Department". Headquartered in Charlotte, Greene desperately needed more provisions and equipment for his soldiers as he prepared to counter the inevitable return of Cornwallis to North Carolina. Davie's leadership skills and knowledge of the region's terrain and inhabitants impressed Greene. In January 1781, he persuaded the experienced cavalry officer to relinquish his field command to serve as the army's commissary-general. In that position, Davie spent the final stages of the war carrying out the crucial but often thankless tasks of locating, organizing, and transporting supplies, often using his funds for General Greene's ever-needy troops and North Carolina's militia.

During the Revolutionary War, he was with the North Carolina militia and State troops from 1780 to 1782. He was a Lieutenant, Captain, and Major in South Carolina and North Carolina militias. On September 5, 1780, he was selected as commander of the newly created NC State Cavalry-Western District. On January 16, 1781, he was appointed by the Board of War as Commissary General for the State per request of Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, replacing Col. Thomas Polk, who had resigned. On February 13, 1781, the North Carolina General Assembly confirmed this position officially, which was eliminated in May 1782. He was at the Battle of Wahab's Plantation in South Carolina and the Battle of Charlotte.
 * Lieutenant in the Rowan County Regiment of the North Carolina militia (1779)
 * Captain in the North Carolina Light Dragoons Regiment (1779)
 * Major in the 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment of the North Carolina militia (1779-1780)
 * Major over the Independent Corps of Light Horse (1780)
 * Colonel over the North Carolina State Cavalry-Western District (1780)
 * Commissary General for North Carolina (1781-1782)

Post-war service
After the war, Davie became a traveling circuit court lawyer and orator in North Carolina. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons on multiple occasions from 1786 through 1798. He served as a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, where he was instrumental in breaking the deadlock over state representation in Congress in what is known as the Great Compromise, brokered by Connecticut's Oliver Ellsworth. Davie persuaded his state's delegation to support the compromise or the 3/5th rule, allowing proportional representation in the House but equal representation for each state in the Senate, thus placing a majority of states in favor and avoiding a possible collapse of the convention. Davie strongly supported the Three-fifths Compromise, because it benefited him, Goudy, and Jones, who relied on the people they enslaved to work their fields and maintain their homes. Davie returned to North Carolina before the Constitution was signed, but he argued for its passage at the North Carolina State Conventions in 1788 and 1789.

Davie was elected governor of North Carolina by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1798. During his administration, the state settled boundary disputes with South Carolina and Tennessee to the west. He resigned as the state's chief executive when President John Adams enlisted him in 1799 to serve on a peace commission to France, where bilateral negotiations resulted in the Convention of 1800.

Davie remained active in the state militia and the newly formed United States Army. He served in the state militia during the 1797 crisis with France (immediately preceding the Quasi-War) and was appointed brigadier general in the Army by President Adams. After his return to North Carolina, Davie continued to be active in Federalist politics. He ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives against Willis Alston in the 1804 election. (Alston, elected as a Federalist in 1798, joined the Democratic-Republican Party during the Jefferson administration).

Founding the University of North Carolina
As a North Carolina General Assembly member, Davie sponsored the bill that chartered the University of North Carolina. Davie laid the cornerstone of the university in October 1793 in a full Masonic ceremony as he was the Grand Master of the North Carolina Grand Lodge at the time.

He is recognized as the university's founder and served on its board of trustees from 1789 to 1807. Davie also received the institution's first honorary degree in 1811, an LL.D., and was given the title "Father of the University". The "Davie Poplar" tree on the campus is, as legend has it, where Davie tied his horse in the early 1790s to pick out the site for the state's first university. A portrait of Davie hangs in the chambers of the Dialectic Society, the oldest student organization at the university.

In October 2013, the sword and pocket watch of Davie were displayed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as part of the commemoration celebrating the role of Freemasons in the establishment of the first public university in the United States.

Later life
After his unsuccessful run for the House of Representatives, Davie retired from public life to his estate, Tivoli, in South Carolina. During the 1812 presidential election, Virginia Federalists who refused to support the candidacy of dissident Democratic-Republican DeWitt Clinton against incumbent Democratic-Republican James Madison nominated presidential electors pledged to Rufus King for president and Davie for vice president. A wide margin defeated this Federalist slate. During the War of 1812, Davie served in the army as well, but declined an offer from President James Madison to command the American forces.

Davie was keenly interested in thoroughbred horses. In 1809, he purchased a champion race horse from William Ransom Johnson, a native of North Carolina who was known in American racing circles as "The Napoleon of the Turf". The horse, Sir Archy sired by Diomed at Mount Airy, cost Davie the then-staggering sum of $5,000. Nearly a century and a half later, in 1955, the stallion was among the first class of horses inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Davie died at his Tivoli estate in Chester County, South Carolina in 1820. He was preceded in death by his wife, the former Sarah Jones, daughter of Allen Jones, whom he married in 1782. Davie is buried at Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. Sarah, who died at 39 in 1802, is buried in the Old Colonial Cemetery in Halifax, North Carolina.

Legacy
Davie County, North Carolina, established in 1836, is named in his memory, as are schools in Davie County and Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and a park in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. His Tivoli plantation is now part of the Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County, South Carolina.

The William R. Davie House at Halifax was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

title: William Richardson Davie