Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state, completing the flag’s 50-star design before America250.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act, and Hawaii entered the Union on August 21, 1959. Alaska had become the 49th state earlier that year, on January 3, making the two admissions part of a rapid expansion of statehood.
Hawaii is an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. Its statehood followed decades as a U.S. territory after annexation in 1898 and territorial organization in 1900. The admission of Hawaii brought the total number of states to 50.
The current flag’s 50 stars represent the 50 states, while its 13 stripes represent the original colonies. A frequent mix-up is identifying Alaska as the final state; Alaska was the 49th, although it entered the Union first in 1959.