Benny Benson | |
|---|---|
 Benson c. 1927 | |
| Born | John Ben Benson Jr. September 12, 1912 Chignik, Alaska, U.S. |
| Died | July 2, 1972 (aged 59) Kodiak, Alaska, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1927−1969 |
| Employer | Kodiak Airways |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2 |
John Ben Benson Jr. (September 12, 1912 – July 2, 1972) was an Alaska Native best known for designing the flag of Alaska. Benson was 14 years old when he won a contest in 1927 to design the flag for the Territory of Alaska, which became a U.S. state on January 3, 1959.[1][2]
- ^ India M. Spartz (2001) Benny Benson's winning design pages 8–9 in Eight Stars of Gold: The Story of Alaska’s Flag Archived 2013-12-30 at the Wayback Machine (Alaska State Museums)
- ^ Manning, Elizabeth (2022-03-10). "Birth date of Alaska flag designer Benny Benson corrected a century later" (PDF). health.alaska.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
March 10, 2022 JUNEAU – An inquiry into the family history of Benny Benson, the winner of the 1927 Alaska flag contest and creator of the Alaska flag, has yielded a correction to Alaska history. Contrary to the long-standing belief that Mr. Benson was 13 years old when he won the flag contest, he was in fact 14 years old. Research led by Dr. Mike Livingston, Cultural Heritage Specialist for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA), has determined that Benny Benson was born a year earlier than previously understood.