What was the first state? When each of the 50 states ratified the Constitution

You may know all the states in alphabetical order, but do you know them in order of statehood? The original 13 colonies entered the Union from 1787 to 1790, and the remaining 37 were continuously admitted as late as 1959.

States are accepted into the U.S. based on Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 of the Constitution, also known as the "Admissions Clause," according to the National Constitution Center.

Virginia might have been the first colony but another state holds the title of the first state. No need to grab a map, it's time to learn the states in order of statehood.

What was the first state?

On Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, according to the Census Bureau. Since it was the first of the 13 original colonies to become a state, it has been aptly nicknamed "The First State." Its capital city is Dover.

Delaware celebrated its 235th anniversary of statehood in 2022.

The state flag for all 50 states: See the state flags (plus D.C.) and the meaning behind each.

What was the last US state?

On Aug. 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th and last state to join the Union, according to the National Archives. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the official proclamation of Hawaii's admission to the U.S.

Its nickname is the "Aloha State" and the capital city is Honolulu.

What is your state's official flower? Here's a list of the state flower for all 50 US states

In what order were the states admitted?

Here are the states in order of statehood date:

1. Delaware: Dec. 7, 1787

2. Pennsylvania: Dec. 12, 1787

3. New Jersey: Dec. 18, 1787

4. Georgia: Jan. 2, 1788

5. Connecticut: Jan. 9, 1788

6. Massachusetts: Feb. 6, 1788

7. Maryland: April 28, 1788

8. South Carolina: May 23, 1788

9. New Hampshire: June 21, 1788

10. Virginia: June 25, 1788

11. New York: July 26, 1788

12. North Carolina: Nov. 21, 1789

13. Rhode Island: May 20, 1790

14. Vermont: March 4, 1791

15. Kentucky: June 1, 1792

16. Tennessee: June 1, 1796

17. Ohio: March 1, 1803

18. Louisiana: April 30, 1812

19. Indiana: Dec. 11, 1816

20. Mississippi: Dec. 10, 1817

21. Illinois: Dec. 3, 1818

22. Alabama: Dec. 14, 1819

23. Maine: March 15, 1820

24. Missouri: Aug. 10, 1821

25. Arkansas: June 15, 1836

26. Michigan: Jan. 26, 1837

27. Florida: March 3, 1845

28. Texas: Dec. 29, 1845

29. Iowa: Dec. 28, 1846

30. Wisconsin: May 29, 1848

31. California: Sept. 9, 1850

32. Minnesota: May 11, 1858

33. Oregon: Feb. 14, 1859

34. Kansas: Jan. 29, 1861

35. West Virginia: June 20, 1863

36. Nevada: Oct. 31, 1864

37. Nebraska: March 1, 1867

38. Colorado: Aug. 1, 1876

39. North Dakota: Nov. 2, 1889

40. South Dakota: Nov. 2, 1889

41. Montana: Nov. 8, 1889

42. Washington: Nov. 11, 1889

43. Idaho: July 3, 1890

44. Wyoming: July 10, 1890

45. Utah: Jan. 4, 1896

46. Oklahoma: Nov. 16, 1907

47. New Mexico: Jan. 6, 1912

48. Arizona: Feb. 14, 1912

49. Alaska: Jan. 3, 1959

50. Hawaii: Aug. 21, 1959

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What was the first state? The 13 original colonies, and beyond