Our National Symbol

Photo from: http://dontcallmebetty.tumblr.com/post/15697255475/fairy-wren-bald-eagle-photo-by-evocative
The Bald Eagle became a national symbol on June 20, 1782 when the Continental Congress adopted the Great Seal of the United States displaying a Bald Eagle holding 13 arrows and a 13-leaf olive branch in its talons.  However, the official designation as the National Bird of the United States did not occur until 1789.