Flag of Alaska

Use	Civil and state flag
Proportion	125:177
Adopted	July 9, 1927
Design	Eight gold stars, in the shape of "the big dipper", on a blue background. The North Star is larger than the other 7.
Designed by	Benny Benson

The Flag of Alaska has eight gold stars on dark blue. These stars form the Big Dipper and the North Star.

Creation

The flag was created in 1927 by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old Alaska native. Up to that time, Alaskans had flown only the U.S. flag. Benson's design was chosen over 700 other submissions from school-children in grades 7–12. Most other entries showed the seal, the midnight sun, the northern lights, polar bears, and gold pans. To celebrate his achievement, Benson was awarded $1,000 and an engraved watch. The Alaska Legislature adopted the flag on May 2, 1927. It was kept as the state flag upon statehood in 1959.

Alaska's Flag Song Lyrics

This song was made for the flag.

“

Eight stars of gold on a field of blue -

Alaska's flag. May it mean to you
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes, and the flow'rs nearby;
The gold of the early sourdough's dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams;
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The "Bear" - the "Dipper" - and, shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
Over land and sea a beacon bright.
Alaska's flag - to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier.

”

Flag Of Alaska Media

Original design by Benny Benson
Alaskan license plate from 1981 to 1997, which featured the Alaskan state flag on it
Flag of the Russian-American Company (Alaska).
Flag of the Russian Empire 1858—1883
FlagoftheUnitedStates()
US Flag with 38 stars. In use 4 July 1877–3 July 1890. Created by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator, and released into the public domain.
US Flag with 43 stars. In use 4 July 1890–3 July 1891. Created by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator, and released into the public domain.
US Flag with 44 stars. In use 4 July 1891–3 July 1896. Created by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator, and released into the public domain.
US Flag with 45 stars. In use 4 July 1896–3 July 1908. Created by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator, and released into the public domain. This flag was used during the

Related pages

Alaska

Other websites

Catalog of the "Eight Stars" exhibit Archived 2011-05-21 at the Wayback Machine at the Alaska State Museum, in PDF format; requires Adobe Reader