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The Flag of Alaska consists of eight gold stars, forming the Big Dipper and the North Star , on a dark blue field. It was designed in 1927 by Benny Benson , a 13-year-old Alaska Native residing in Seward , for a contest to create a flag for the then- Alaska Territory . Up to that time, Alaskans had flown only the U.S. flag since the territory was purchased from Russia in 1867. Benson's design was chosen over roughly 700 other submissions from schoolchildren statewide in grades 7–12. Most other entries featured variations on the state seal, the Midnight Sun , the Northern Lights , Polar Bears , and/or Gold Pans . To celebrate his achievement, Benson was awarded $1,000 and an engraved watch. Benny looked to the sky for the symbols he included in his design, and he submitted this description with it: The Big Dipper is an asterism in the constellation Ursa Major which symbolizes a Bear , an animal indigenous to Alaska. The Alaska Legislature adopted Benson's design as the official flag for the Territory of Alaska on May 2, 1927. The first flag made based on Benny's design was made of blue silk and appliquéd gold stars, and was inaugurally flown July 9, 1927. It was retained as the state flag upon Statehood in 1959 . The flag's symbolism is described in the state song, " Alaska's Flag ". EXTERNAL LINK
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