Hawaii’s admission to the Union produced the 50-star United States flag used today.
Hawaii became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. The flag design was updated to include a fiftieth star, and the new version officially became the national flag on July 4, 1960. It replaced the 49-star flag created after Alaska became a state.
The flag’s stars represent the states, while its 13 stripes continue to represent the original colonies. The star field has nine rows arranged in alternating groups of six and five stars. This arrangement allows the stars to fit into the blue canton while keeping the design balanced.
Alaska was the 49th state and briefly produced a 49-star flag in 1959. Hawaii’s admission completed the current 50-state design. No new star has been added since 1960, although a future state admission would require another official design change.