United States
On January 3, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed Alaska the 49th state of the United States. The move followed decades of territorial status after U.S. purchase from Russia in 1867. Statehood expanded U.S. territory and resources, including fisheries, timber, and vast oil reserves discovered later at Prudhoe Bay. It also brought new strategic considerations during the Cold War due to Alaska’s proximity to the Soviet Union. Alaskans gained full representation in Congress and control over their state government. Statehood reshaped political and economic development in the far north.
