Alaska Statehood Day: 67th anniversary of 49th star

Today marks Alaska Statehood Day, commemorating the moment on January 3, 1959, when Alaska officially became the 49th state of the United States.

On that day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Presidential Proclamation 3269, formally admitting Alaska to the Union “on an equal footing with the other States.” The proclamation declared that all legal and procedural requirements for statehood had been met, bringing to a close one of the longest and most hard-fought statehood efforts in American history.

The milestone followed years of congressional debate and advocacy. The Alaska Statehood Act had passed the US House of Representatives on May 28, 1958, and cleared the Senate on June 30. Eisenhower signed the act into law on July 7, 1958, setting the stage for Alaska’s admission once voters approved specific conditions laid out by Congress.

Alaskans did just that in a statewide referendum held on August 26, 1958, voting to accept the terms of statehood and electing the officials who would form the new state government. With those steps completed, Eisenhower issued the proclamation on Jan. 3, 1959, making Alaska’s status official.

The same day, Eisenhower also signed an executive order directing a change to the US flag to reflect Alaska’s admission. The 49-star flag became official on July 4, 1959, symbolizing Alaska’s place in the Union.

Alaska’s journey to statehood spanned decades and was shaped by geography, economics, and global politics. Long viewed as distant and sparsely populated, the territory gained new strategic importance during World War II and the early Cold War, when its proximity to the Soviet Union underscored its national security value. Eisenhower had initially voiced concerns about defense and governance challenges but ultimately supported and completed the process that brought Alaska into the Union.

Since that winter day in 1959, Alaska has played an outsized role in America’s defense, energy production, and natural resource development, while maintaining a distinct identity shaped by its vast size, harsh climate, and independent spirit. Statehood Day serves as an annual reminder of the moment Alaska’s long campaign for equal standing among the states was finally realized.