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.
It was designed in 1927 by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old Alaska Native residing at the Jesse Lee Home for Children in Seward,
for a contest to create a flag for the then-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 $1,000 and an engraved watch. Benny looked to the sky for the symbols
he included in his design, and 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.
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