Alaska State Flags

Long before Alaska was the 49th state to enter the union in 1959, it adopted a blue flag with eight gold stars on it as its territorial flag; this is now the state flag. The blue field symbolizes the sky, the ocean, the lakes and the state’s wildflowers; seven of the gold stars represent the Big Dipper, while the large star in the top-right corner represents the North Star. When Alaska had a contest to design a flag, this entry earned its creator, 13-year-old Bennie Benson from Chignik, a $1,000 scholarship and a watch. The flag remains a source of pride for all Alaskans today, just as North Carolina, New York and Maryland state flags are sources of pride for those states.