when was the 50th star added to the united states flag
1960
title: Seal of the President of the United States text: new seal was first used on December 5, 1945. Alaska was admitted as the 49th state on January 3, 1959, which caused the 49th star to be added to the United States flag on the following July 4. On May 26, President Eisenhower issued , which added a 49th star to the outer ring on the presidential coat of arms (and therefore the seal and flag as well), also effective on July 4. The order was otherwise identical to Truman's order, which it replaced. Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state on August 21, 1959, and Eisenhower duly issued on title: Flag of the United States text: to 13 so as to honor the original colonies. The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day) following admission of one or more new states. The most recent change, from 49 stars to 50, occurred in 1960 when the present design was chosen, after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. Before that, the admission of Alaska in January 1959 prompted the debut of a short-lived 49-star flag. Prior to the adoption of the 48-star flag in 1912, there was no official arrangement of the stars in the canton, although the U.S. title: Flag of the President of the United States text: unified the coat of arms, flag, and seal to use the new design. The flag was first flown at the commissioning of the two days later. The only changes have been to add more stars for new states; President Eisenhower issued on May 26, 1959 (effective July 4) to add a star for Alaska, and later issued on February 5, 1960 (again effective the following July 4) to add a 50th star for Hawaii. The design has not changed since. It is illegal to reproduce or sell the flag of the President pursuant to Title 18 of the United States title: Flag of the United States text: 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S. Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner. The current design of the U.S. flag is its 27th; the design of the flag has been modified officially 26 times since 1777. The 48-star flag was in effect for 47 years until the 49-star version became official on July 4, 1959. The 50-star flag was ordered by the then president Eisenhower on August 21, 1959, and was adopted in July title: Seal of the President of the United States text: February 5, 1960 (effective July 4, 1960) to add the 50th star to the coat of arms. Once again, it was identical to the previous orders other than the number of stars. This remains the official definition today. Because the upcoming admission of Hawaii would cause a further change the following year, no seal dies were made in 1959 with 49 stars, and the 1945 dies continued in use. New dies with 50 stars were made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing only after the 1960 executive order came into effect. Many people erroneously believe that the seal is