On January 3, 1959, the Territory of Alaska was admitted to the United States as its 49th state. The 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km²) of land had been purchased from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km²). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. Alaska … Continue reading Alaska Statehood