In which year was the first Union Flag created?

Okay, let's talk about the Union Flag, or Union Jack as it's often called. To understand when it was created, we need to remember the historical context of the early 17th century. King James VI of Scotland also became James I of England in 1603, uniting the crowns of the two countries. However, each country still had its own parliament and laws. To symbolize this new union, the first Union Flag was designed in 1606. It combined the flags of England and Scotland: the red cross of St. George (England's patron saint) and the white saltire of St. Andrew (Scotland's patron saint). So, 1606 is the correct answer because that's when this initial version of the flag was officially created to represent the joining of the English and Scottish crowns. The later dates, 1707, 1800, and 1801, are related to the Acts of Union which formally united the parliaments and kingdoms, and subsequent changes to the flag to include Ireland, but the *first* Union Flag appeared much earlier.