Flag of Alaska facts for kids
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| Use | Civil and state flag |
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| Proportion | 5:7.08 |
| Adopted | May 2, 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 state flag of Alaska shows eight gold stars on a dark blue background. These stars form the Big Dipper and Polaris, also known as the North Star. The Big Dipper is a group of stars that looks like a ladle. It is part of the Ursa Major constellation, which means "Great Bear." This bear symbolizes the animals found in Alaska.
The stars on the flag can help you find the North Star. The North Star then helps you find true north. This design was created by Benny Benson from Seward. His design was chosen in a contest in 1927. In 2001, experts rated Alaska's flag as the fifth best design among 72 flags from Canada and the U.S.
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How the Flag Was Designed
More than 30 years before Alaska became a state, a contest was held for Alaskan students. Children in grades seven through twelve could submit designs for a new flag.
In 1927, the winning design came from Benny Benson. He was a 13-year-old Alaska Native boy living at the Jesse Lee Home for Children in Seward. His design was chosen to be the official flag for the future Territory of Alaska. Before this, Alaskans only used the U.S. flag. This was because the territory was bought from Russia in 1867.
Benny's design was picked from about 700 other ideas from students across the territory. Many other designs included things like the territorial seal, the midnight sun, the northern lights, polar bears, or gold pans. For winning, Benny received $1,000 and a special engraved watch.
Benny said he looked to the sky for his ideas. He chose the stars he saw every night before bed at the orphanage. He described his design like this:
The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaskan flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly in the union. The Dipper is for the Great Bear—symbolizing strength.
History of the Flag
Early Flags in Alaska
Before Alaska became part of the United States, it was controlled by Russia. From 1799 to 1867, the Russian-American Company (RAC) governed Alaska. This company used a special flag. It was Russia's commercial flag, but it had the Imperial eagle in the top left corner. This eagle held a scroll that said "Russian American Company's." This flag flew over Alaska until October 18, 1867. That's when Russia sold Alaska to the United States.
Alaska's State Flag
The Alaska Legislature officially adopted Benny Benson's design as the flag for the Territory of Alaska on May 2, 1927. The very first flag made from Benny's design was created from blue silk with gold stars sewn onto it. It was first flown on July 9, 1927. When Alaska became a state in 1959, this design was kept as the official state flag.
The meaning of the flag's symbols is also explained in Alaska's state song, called "Alaska's Flag".
Images for kids
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The flag of Russia, used before 1799.
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The flag of the Russian-American Company, used from 1806 to 1867.
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The U.S. flag with 37 stars, used in Alaska from 1867 to 1877.
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The U.S. flag with 38 stars, used in Alaska from 1877 to 1884.
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The U.S. flag with 43 stars, used in Alaska from 1884 to 1891.
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The U.S. flag with 44 stars, used in Alaska from 1891 to 1896.
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The U.S. flag with 45 stars, used in Alaska from 1896 to 1908.
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The U.S. flag with 46 stars, used in Alaska from 1908 to 1912.
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The U.S. flag with 48 stars, used in Alaska from 1912 to 1927.
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The current flag of Alaska, used since 1927.
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Alaskan license plate from 1981 to 1997, which featured the Alaskan state flag on it
See also
In Spanish: Bandera de Alaska para niños
