Alaska State Flag: History, Symbols, and Maritime Significance

The Alaska state flag is among the most recognized and highly rated state flags in the United States. Adopted in 1927, more than three decades before Alaska achieved statehood, the flag was designed by a 13-year-old Alaska Native boy and has remained unchanged ever since. For mariners transiting Alaskan waters, the flag's North Star symbolism carries a practical resonance that extends beyond state pride into the fundamentals of celestial navigation.

What Does the Alaska State Flag Look Like?

The Alaska state flag displays eight gold stars on a dark blue background. Seven stars form the Big Dipper asterism (part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear), and one larger star in the upper right corner represents Polaris, the North Star. Alaska Statutes specify the gold as "the color of natural yellow gold" and the blue as matching the shade used in the U.S. national flag.

In a 2001 survey by the North American Vexillological Association, Alaska's flag ranked fifth best in design quality among 72 U.S. state, Canadian provincial, and U.S. territorial flags, behind only New Mexico, Texas, Quebec, and Maryland.

Who Designed the Alaska Flag?

Benny Benson, born October 12, 1913, in Chignik on the Alaska Peninsula, designed the flag in 1927 as a 13-year-old seventh grader living at the Jesse Lee Mission Home in Seward. His mother, Tatiana Schebolein, was Aleut-Russian, and his father, John Ben Benson, was a Swedish fisherman. After his mother's death from pneumonia when Benny was three, he and his younger brother Carl were placed at the Jesse Lee Home in Unalaska, later relocating with the mission to Seward in 1925.

In 1926, Territorial Governor George A. Parks visited Washington, D.C., and noticed the flags of all 48 states displayed at the Post Office Building. The Postmaster General reminded Parks that Alaska had no flag to fly alongside them. Parks arranged for the Alaska Department of the American Legion to hold a territory-wide contest open to schoolchildren in grades 7 through 12.

Contest rules were circulated in January 1927, with each town organizing local judging panels that forwarded their ten best designs to Juneau. A total of 142 entries reached the Final Awards Committee. Other designs featured polar bears, the territorial seal, the midnight sun, and imagery representing the fishing and mining industries. Benson's submission was a unanimous winner.

Benny described his design:

"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."

Benny worried the misspelling of "strength" would disqualify his entry, but the judges overlooked it. The Alaska Territorial Legislature unanimously adopted the design on May 2, 1927. The flag was first raised on July 9, 1927, at the Jesse Lee Mission Home in Seward, where Benny received a gold watch engraved with his design. A $1,000 prize originally intended for a trip to present the flag to President Coolidge was instead applied to Benny's education after the presidential visit fell through.

When Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959, the territorial flag became the official state flag without modification. Benny Benson was the only guest of honor, besides the Governor, at the 1955 Constitutional Convention in Fairbanks, where delegates greeted him with a standing ovation.

Benny Benson died on July 2, 1972, at age 58. Streets, schools, and monuments throughout Alaska honor his contribution.

What Do the Stars on the Alaska Flag Symbolize?

The Big Dipper's seven stars carry dual meaning. As part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, they represent the strength of the Alaskan wilderness. The constellation's practical navigation value reinforces this symbolism: the two outer stars of the Big Dipper's "cup" (Dubhe and Merak, known as the Pointer Stars) form a line that points directly to Polaris, the North Star.

Polaris sits nearly directly above the geographic North Pole and has served as a fixed reference point for determining latitude and true bearing for centuries of maritime navigation. As described in the Alaska flag statute, Polaris is "the ever-constant star for the mariner, explorer, hunter, trapper, prospector, woodsman, and surveyor." For Alaska, the North Star also represents the state's position as the northernmost in the Union and, as Benny wrote, its future greatness.

The blue field symbolizes the Alaska sky, the sea, mountain lakes, and the forget-me-not, which became the official state flower partly through the flag's influence. Marie Drake later wrote the poem "Alaska's Flag" based on Benny's narrative, which Elinor Dusenbury set to music in 1938. The song became Alaska's official state anthem and served as a rallying symbol during the statehood campaign.

Alaska's Maritime Significance

Alaska has the longest coastline of any U.S. state, stretching approximately 6,640 miles along the mainland and over 33,000 miles when island coastlines are included. The state borders the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the North Pacific, making it one of the most active and challenging maritime regions in the country.

Major ports include Anchorage, Juneau, Dutch Harbor (consistently among the highest-volume commercial fishing ports in the nation), and Valdez, the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The Aleutian Islands chain extends nearly 1,200 miles into the Pacific, and vessels operating in these waters navigate extreme tidal ranges, unpredictable weather systems, and seasonal ice hazards. Proper nautical charts and current sailing directions are essential for safe passage.

Flying the Alaska Flag on Vessels

Vessels operating in Alaskan ports and waters may fly the Alaska state flag as a courtesy alongside the U.S. national ensign. Standard flag etiquette for vessels requires the national flag to hold the position of honor (typically the stern staff or gaff), with state or courtesy flags flown from a subordinate position, such as the starboard spreader.

A variety of international and state flags are available from authorized maritime suppliers. Signal flags also serve important communication functions in Alaskan waters, where radio conditions can be challenging in remote areas of the Aleutians and the Arctic.

Alaska law specifies that the state flag should be displayed with the North Star in the upper right corner as viewed by an observer. When flown with the U.S. flag, the American flag takes the position of superior prominence. Alaska celebrates its flag's adoption anniversary on July 9.

FAQs

Q. What is the history of the Alaska flag?

The Alaska flag was designed in 1927 by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old Alaska Native living in Seward, as part of a territory-wide contest among schoolchildren. His design of eight gold stars on a blue field was unanimously selected from 142 entries, adopted by the Territorial Legislature on May 2, 1927, and became the official state flag when Alaska achieved statehood on January 3, 1959.

Q. What does Alaska's flag symbolize?

The blue field represents the Alaska sky, the sea, and the forget-me-not flower. The seven stars of the Big Dipper symbolize strength through the Great Bear constellation. Polaris, the North Star, represents Alaska's geographic position as the northernmost state and its guiding role in celestial navigation .

Q. Can a vessel fly the Alaska state flag?

Vessels may fly state flags as a courtesy or identity display, but the U.S. national ensign must always occupy the position of honor. In foreign ports, the courtesy flag of the host country takes precedence over state or organizational flags.

Q. What are the official Alaska state symbols?

Alaska's official state symbols include the state flag (adopted 1927), the forget-me-not as state flower (adopted 1917), the willow ptarmigan as state bird, the Sitka spruce as state tree, and "North to the Future" as state motto (adopted 1967). The state song, "Alaska's Flag," was adopted in 1955.