In what year did Texas become second largest state?

For over a century after its annexation in 1845, Texas was unrivaled as the largest state in the Union, a fact that became a core part of its identity. That all changed on January 3, 1959, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially welcomed Alaska into the United States as the 49th state. With this single proclamation, Texas was instantly demoted to the second-largest spot, a position it has held ever since.

The sheer scale of Alaska makes the change understandable. At over 665,000 square miles, Alaska is more than twice the size of Texas's 268,000 square miles. This geographical shift led to some good-natured regional humor. A popular joke among Alaskans at the time was that they should split their state in two, just to make Texas the third largest state in the country.

Alaska's path to statehood was a long and challenging one. The territory was purchased from Russia in 1867 in a deal widely mocked as "Seward's Folly." For many decades, its sparse population and remote location kept it from being considered for statehood. However, its strategic importance during World War II and the Cold War, coupled with a growing population, finally provided the momentum needed to join the Union and permanently alter the nation's map.