On this day in 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the US.

Eisenhower Signs on the Dotted Line. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation changing Alaska's status from territory to state. Alaskans wanted statehood in order to improve social and economic conditions.

How Big Is Alaska? So big that its landmass is almost one-fifth the size of the entire lower 48 states.

What Was Seward's Folly? When Secretary of State William H. Seward bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, people called it Seward's Folly because they didn't think the land was worth anything. They changed their tune with the Klondike Gold Rush. Between 1897 and 1900, prospectors mined some 50 million dollars worth of gold.

Whose Alaska Was It? Since the Alaska purchase in 1867, Alaska was under the jurisdiction of the US Army, the US Treasury Department, and the US Navy. In 1884, it became the District of Alaska.

Representation. In 1906, Alaska was given a non-voting delegate in Washington. In 1912, Congress passed a bill making Alaska a territory. Still the government wouldn't make the territory a state.

So Why Wasn't it a State? Opponents of statehood claimed Alaska's population was too spread out, and that Alaska was too far from the other states. They also argued that Alaska wasn't economically strong. That was about to change.

Oil! In 1957, oil was discovered. Because of Alaska's new-found resources, Congress was convinced to disregard past arguments.

On January 3, 1959, President Eisenhower signed the official declaration which made Alaska the 49th state. The new American flag featured seven rows of seven stars each.

Everything you wanted to know about Alaska but were afraid to ask.

Alaska's struggle to becoming the 49th state.