Utah turned 128 years old this week. Here’s the story of how Utah joined the U.S.

If Utah was having a cake to celebrate its birthday today the number of candles donning the pastry would be 128.

On Jan. 4, 1896, Utah officially became a part of the United States, making it the 45th state of the current 50 states.

Utah’s population around the time of its newfound statehood was a little less than 276,749, making up 0.36% of America, according to the Utah History Encyclopedia.

While the anniversary is something to celebrate, the day’s importance comes into full focus as Utahns tried for almost 50 years before 1896 to achieve statehood.

Here’s what happened in those 50 years.

How long did it take for Utah to become a state?

The Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement reported that in July 1847, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began settling in the Salt Lake Valley.

Indigenous communities were living in the region with reportedly few Latinos occupying the area at the time as Mexico owned what is now known as Utah and all of the land from Colorado to California.

In 1848, the U.S. won the Mexican-American war giving the “U.S. military secured control of Mexico after a series of battles, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848.”

As a result of winning this battle, the U.S. won the territory, which reportedly led leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to plan “a strategy to become a state.”

At the time, members of the church were practicing polygamy as “directed by revelation through God’s prophets,” until 1890 when church president Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto that ended plural marriage in the church.

As church members reportedly residing at that time within the Utah territory ended the practice of polygamy, which was illegal in the United States at the time, the U.S.’s prior objections to the territory were lifted and “Utah entered the Union on January 4, 1896.”

What states were in the Utah Territory?

The United State Census Bureau reported that the Guide to 2010 State and Local Census Geography — Utah — History explained the boundaries of the Utah Territory at the time.

“Utah Territory included all of present-day Utah, most of Nevada, and part of western Colorado and southwestern Wyoming. The territory was reduced in 1861 with the organization of Colorado and Nevada territories, and additional area was lost to Nevada in 1862 and 1866,” the Guide explained.

The territory was then decreased with Idaho’s Territory forming “and in 1868 with the organization of Wyoming Territory, to arrive at generally the same boundary as the present state. Utah was admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896, as the 45th state.”