The current 50-star U.S. flag was adopted in 1960.
The design added a star for Hawaii, which became the fiftieth state in 1959. The 50-star flag officially took effect on July 4, 1960, following the established practice of adding new stars on the next Independence Day after a state enters the Union.
Alaska’s admission produced a short-lived 49-star flag in 1959. Hawaii’s statehood then led to the 50-star design still used during America250. The stars are arranged in nine horizontal rows that alternate between six and five stars.
The flag retains 13 stripes rather than adding stripes for later states. Congress set that convention in 1818, preserving the number associated with the original thirteen colonies. Thus, the flag combines the founding-era number 13 with the modern state count of 50.