Flag of Alaska
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| Use | Civil and state flag  |
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| Proportion | 2:3 |
| 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 the state of Alaska consists of eight gold stars, forming the Big Dipper and the North Star, on a dark blue field. The Big Dipper is an asterism in the constellation Ursa Major which symbolizes a bear, an animal indigenous to Alaska. As depicted on the flag, its stars can be used as a guide by the novice to locate Polaris and determine true north, which varies considerably from a magnetic north.[1]
The design was created by Benny Benson of Seward and selected from among roughly 700 entries in a 1927 contest.
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[edit] Design and origin
More than 30 years before Alaska was to become a state, the Alaska Department of the American Legion sponsored a territorial contest for Alaskan children in grades seven through twelve.[2] Winning the contest in 1927, the design of Benny Benson, a 13-year-old Alaska Native residing at the Jesse Lee Home for Children in Seward, was chosen to represent the future of the Alaska Territory. Up to that time, Alaskans had flown only the U.S. flag since the territory was purchased from Russia in 1867. Benson's design was chosen over roughly 700 other submissions from schoolchildren territory-wide in grades 7–12. Most other entries featured variations on the territorial seal, the midnight sun, the northern lights, polar bears, and/or gold pans. To celebrate his achievement, Benson was awarded US$1,000 and an engraved watch.
Benny looked to the sky for the symbols he included in his design. Choosing the familiar constellation he looked for every night before going to sleep at the orphanage, he submitted this description with it:
| “ | 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. | ” |
[edit] History
[edit] Russian-American Company flag
The Russian-American Company (RAC) flag was authorized under Czar Alexander I in 1806. It was the first special flag granted by the Russian government to any private company. The flag was granted on September 19, 1806, by the Saint Petersburg offices. The RAC flag was authorized to be raised over Russian fortifications and on RAC ships in place of naval flags.
The RAC flag has three stripes: the lower red, the middle blue, and the upper and wider stripe white. Painted on the flag is the Russian imperial crest, the double-headed eagle. A ribbon hanging from the talons of the eagle has the inscription, "Russian American Company" (Russian: Российская Американская Кампания). On the breast of the double headed eagle is a square with a red shield and Saint George on a white steed looking to the left.
The flag flew over Alaska until October 18, 1867, when all Russian-American Company holdings in Alaska were sold to the United States.[3]
[edit] State flag
The Alaska Legislature adopted Benson's design as the official flag for the Territory of Alaska on May 2, 1927. The first flag made based on Benny's design was made of blue silk and appliquéd gold stars, and was inaugurally flown July 9, 1927. It was retained as the state flag upon statehood in 1959.
The flag's symbolism is described in the state song, "Alaska's Flag".
[edit] Flags flown before 1927
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(used as civil ensign) |
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Catalog of the "Eight Stars" exhibit at the Alaska State Museum, in PDF format; requires Adobe Reader
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