The first Alaska State Legislature, Senate,» poses on the steps of the capital building in Juneau.»

Juneau, Alaska, 1959

View of 49th star pinned on a United States 48 star flag, draped on side of Federal Building, 4th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska's governor,» Mike Stepovich, and congressional advocates for statehood for the northern territory were jubilant Monday after Senate passage of the Alaskan statehood bill

Delegation celebrates Alaska's Statehood by posing in front of a 49 star flag.» identified are Representative Ralph Rivers (far left), Ernest Gruening (beneath flag) and Bob Bartlett (next to Gruening)

Governor Egan and Senator Bob Bartlett display the first 49-star flag to fly over the capitol in Washington D.C.

Ernest Gruening is awarded or is awarding a statuette with a copy of the Anchorage Daily Times, extra edition, announcing statehood for Alaska, on a desk

When the news of statehood reached the Arctic village of Kotzebue, the town started jumping.» Here Laura Mae Beltz goes aloft, via walrus hide blanket

1957 political cartoon of the head of a person who appears to be Adlai Stevenson fishing to make Alaska and Hawaii the 49th and 50th states.» The U.S. Capitol Building is in the background with a fish

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, probably signing the Alaska Statehood, (seated center) with Vice-President Richard M. Nixon (seated left) and the Alaska delegation behind.» Alaska delegation includes left to right Ralph Rivers, Ernest Gruening and Bob Barlett

Photograph of the Alaska senators and an unidentified man holding a 49 star flag in front of the United States Capitol Building

View of voting results from Alaska Statehood polls in Anchorage, Alaska, with KENI-TV camera at right.» From results on sign in photo"Statehood vote.» No.1: Alaska: Yes: 8017. No: 1991.

The headline tells the story - Governor Mike Stepovich of Alaska holds a newspaper bearing a big headline as he stand between President Eisenhower and the Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton in the President's White House office.