Construction of Six Flags Over Texas started in 1960 and the park opened the next year for a short (45-day) season. Six Flags Theme Parks originated in 1957 with the creation of The Great Southwest Corporation by Angus G. Wynne and other investors. Six Flags parks are still divided into different themed sections, although many of the original areas from the first three parks have been replaced. The name "Six Flags" originally referred to the flags of the six different nations that have governed Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States (Union) and the Confederate States of America. The Six Flags & Texas Railroad at Six Flags Over Texas (2007) On June 13, 2009, the corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to crippling debt, which it successfully exited after corporate restructuring on May 3, 2010. The company maintains a corporate office in Midtown Manhattan, while its headquarters are in Arlington, Texas. Six Flags was founded in the 1960s and derived its name from its first property, Six Flags Over Texas. In 2019, Six Flags properties hosted 32.8 million guests. The company operates 27 properties throughout North America, including theme parks, amusement parks, water parks and a family entertainment center. Six Flags owns more theme parks and waterparks combined than any other amusement park company in the world, and has the seventh-highest attendance in the world. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, more commonly known as Six Flags or as Six Flags Theme Parks, is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas.