The current 50-star United States flag was adopted in 1960.
The design followed Hawaii's admission to the Union in August 1959, which raised the number of states to 50. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the 50-star design by executive order, and the flag became official on July 4, 1960. It replaced the short-lived 49-star flag created after Alaska joined the Union.
The flag's 50 stars represent the 50 states, while its 13 alternating stripes represent the original colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. The stars are arranged in nine offset rows, alternating between rows of six and rows of five.
The current flag is sometimes associated with Robert G. Heft, an Ohio student whose school project resembled the eventual design. However, the official design process involved federal authorities, and the popular story about Heft's role has been questioned by historians. The 50-star flag remains the longest-used U.S. flag design.