Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959.
The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 for $7.2 million. The region later became a federal district, then an organized territory in 1912. Statehood supporters spent decades seeking full representation and control over local affairs.
Congress approved Alaska statehood on July 7, 1958. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the statehood proclamation on January 3, 1959, making Alaska the first of the two noncontiguous states to join the Union that year.
Alaska’s admission expanded the United States dramatically because it is the country’s largest state by area. It is separated from the contiguous United States by Canada and occupies the northwestern extremity of North America. Hawaii followed later in 1959 as the 50th state, so Alaska’s number is sometimes mistakenly associated with Hawaii. Alaska’s statehood also preceded the admission of Hawaii by more than seven months.