History Hop Tags - Alaska

1741-07-15

Alexei Chirikov sights land in Southeast Alaska. He sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska.

1741-07-28

Capt Bering discovers Mount St Elias, Alaska

1741-08-20

Alaska first sighted by Danish explorer Vitus Bering at head of Russian expedition

1778-10-03

Captain Cook anchors at Alaska

1788-06-11

Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska.

1794-08-08

Joseph Whidbey and George Vancouver lead an expedition to search for the Northwest Passage near Juneau, Alaska.

1825-02-22

Russia & Britain establish Alaska-Canada boundary

1867-03-30

US buys Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (2 cents an acre - Seward's Folly)

1867-06-20

US President Andrew Johnson announces purchase of Alaska

1867-10-05

Last day of Julian calendar in Alaska

1867-10-16

Alaska adopts Gregorian calendar, crosses intl date line

1867-10-18

US takes formal possession of Alaska from Russia ($7.2 million)

1884-05-17

Alaska becomes a US territory

1896-08-16

Gold first discovered in Klondike, found at Bonanza Creek, Alaska by George Carmack

1898-07-08

The shooting death of crime boss Soapy Smith releases Skagway, Alaska from his iron grip.

1899-09-04

8.3 earthquake shakes Yakutat Bay Alaska

1899-09-10

2nd quake in 7 days (8.6) hits Yakutat Bay Alaska

1900-06-06

US Congress pass an act authorizing a civil code and government for the territory of Alaska after gold discoveries bring lawlessness and disorder to the area

1900-10-09

8.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Cape Yakataga, Alaska

1901-08-14

SS Islander hits iceberg near Alaska & sinks killing 70

1903-10-20

US wins disputed boundary between District of Alaska & Canada

1908-02-12

NY to Paris auto race (via Alaska & Siberia) begins in NYC George Schuster wins after 88 days behind the wheel

1909-06-01

Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition opens in Seattle

1910-04-03

Highest mountain in North America, Alaska's Mt McKinley climbed

1912-06-04

Cone of Mount Katmai (Alaska) collapses

1912-06-06

The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins. It is the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

1912-08-24

District of Alaska becomes an organized incorporated territory of the United States

1915-06-27

100°F (38°C), Fort Yukon, Alaska (state record)

1918-10-25

Canadian steamship "Princess Sophia" hit a reef off Alaska, 398 die

1922-10-11

First woman FBI "special investigator" appointed (Alaska Davidson)

1923-07-08

Harding becomes 1st sitting president to visit Alaska (Metlakahtla)

1925-02-25

Glacier Bay National Monument established in Alaska

1936-03-26

Mary Joyce ends a 1,000 mile trip by dog in Alaska

1938-11-10

8.3 earthquake shakes East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska

1942-03-09

Construction of the Alaska Highway began

1942-10-29

Alaska highway completed

1944-06-06

Alaska Airlines commences operations.

1953-06-25

86°F in Anchorage Alaska

1953-12-11

KTVA TV channel 11 in Anchorage (CBS) becomes Alaska's 1st TV station

1957-03-09

8.1 earthquake shakes Andreanof Islands, Alaska

1958-07-06

Alaska becomes 49th state

1958-07-09

Giant splash caused by fall of 90 million tons of rock & ice into Lituya Bay, Alaska washes 1,800 feet up the mountain

1959-01-03

Alaska admitted as 49th US state

1959-07-04

America's new 49-star flag honoring Alaska statehood unfurled

1963-03-13

2 Russian reconnaissance flights over Alaska

1964-03-27

Earthquake strikes Alaska, 8.4 on Richter scale, 118 die

1964-03-28

9.2 earthquake shakes Prince William Sound, Alaska

1971-01-23

-80°F (-62°C) in Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska (US record)

1971-09-04

Alaskan 727 crashes into Chilkoot Mountain, kills 109 (Alaska)

1975-03-09

Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins.

1977-05-31

Trans Alaska oil pipeline completed

1977-06-20

Oil enters Trans-Alaska pipeline exits 38 days later at Valdez

1977-07-28

1st oil through the TransAlaska Pipeline System reach Valdez, Alaska

1982-10-12

38.6 cm (15.2") of rainfall, Angoon Alaska (state record)

1985-05-17

Les Anderson, catches record 97 lb 4 oz Chinook Salmon, off Alaska

1986-08-07

Daniel Buettner, Bret Anderson, Martin Engel & Anne Knabe begin cycling journey of 15,266 miles from Prudhoe Bay Alaska to Argentina

1987-05-31

Saul Ballesteros drives 3 golf balls off Mt McKinley, Alaska

1987-06-13

Daniel Buettner, Bret Anderson, Martin Engel & Anne Knabe complete cycling journey of 15,266 mi from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Argentina

1989-03-24

Worst US oil spill, Exxon's Valdez spills 11.3 mil gallons off Alaska

1994-06-13

A jury in Anchorage, Alaska, blames recklessness by Exxon and Captain Joseph Hazelwood for the Exxon Valdez disaster, allowing victims of the oil spill to seek $15 billion in damages.

1995-09-22

E-3B AWACS crashed outside of Elmendorf AFB, Alaska after multiple bird strikes to two of the four engines soon after takeoff; all 24 on board killed

2000-01-31

Alaska Airlines flight 261 MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 persons aboard.

2001-10-07

Crude oil resumes flowing through the trans-Alaska pipeline after workers welded shut a bullet hole that caused 260,000 US gallons of oil to spill out

2008-01-21

The Eyak language in Alaska becomes extinct as its last native speaker dies.

2009-03-22

Mount Redoubt, a volcano in Alaska began erupting after a prolonged period of unrest.

2013-07-07

10 people are killed after an air taxi crashes in Soldotna, Alaska

2016-01-24

7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Alaska

2016-03-12

Snowmobile 'driven into dog-sleds' in Alaska Iditarod race

2016-04-05

Alaska Air Announces Purchase of Virgin America

1801-05-16

William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, bought Alaska at 2 ¢/acre (d. 1872)

1871-12-13

Russell W Porter, Vermont, explorer (Alaska)

1873-07-25

Nellie Lawing, Land of Alaska Nellie

1888-11-24

Bernard R. Hubbard, Alaska's Silver Millions

1898-11-22

Wiley Post, Grand Plain Tx, aviator/parachutist (crashed in Alaska)

1899-06-08

Noel Wien, Lake Nebagamon Wisconsin, aviation pioneer (Wien Air Alaska)

1909-12-19

Urban Thielmann, North to Alaska

1914-02-13

Court Shepard, Alaska Passage

1919-01-23

Ernie Kovacs, North to Alaska

1919-08-18

Walter J Hickel, (Gov-R-Alaska)/US Secretary of Interior (1969-71)

1920-10-22

Mitzi Green, Lost in Alaska

1922-07-21

Jay Hammond, The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced

1923-01-21

Elizabeth York, Alaska

1925-04-30

Johnny Horton, North to Alaska

1928-9-02

John Armstrong, Pipeline Alaska

1930-05-13

Mike Gravel, (Sen-R-Alaska)

1942-02-20

Phil Esposito, Mystery, Alaska

1943-01-01

Tony Knowles, 9th Governor of Alaska

1944-06-14

Angelica Ott, Die blutigen Geier von Alaska

1947-02-25

Kenneth Mandel, Building Alaska

1949-07-17

Maeve van der Steen, Alaska

1952-10-02

George Meegen, England, walked 19,019 miles from Argentina to Alaska

1956-07-15

Barry Melrose, Mystery, Alaska

1959-11-27

Karen Gartner, Mystery, Alaska

1960-05-18

Jim Fox, Mystery, Alaska

1961-05-29

David Huntley, Alaska: Big America

1961-11-25

Andrusch Jung, Alaska.De

1962-03-17

Janet Patricia Gardner, Juneau Alaska, rocker (Vixen-Rev It Up)

1963-01-16

Bernard Addison, Alaska Is a Drag

1963-06-13

Alaska, Indies y vaqueros

1964-01-18

Esther Drente, Alaska

1965-10-17

Connie Ann Hearn, Anchorage Alaska, actress (New Kind of Family)

1966-03-08

Holly Ann Salo, Keani Alaska, Miss Alaska-America (1991)

1967-03-28

Ed[ward] Grose, Juneau Alaska, rower (Olympics-1996)

1970-02-17

Tommy Moe, Anchorage Alaska, nordic skiier (Olympic-gold/silver-1994)

1970-06-25

Roger R. Johnson, Welcome to Alaska

1970-06-25

Rodney G. Johnson, Welcome to Alaska

1970-10-14

Nina Kemppel, Anchorage Alaska, cross country skier (Olympics-1994)

1971-03-24

Megyn Price, Mystery, Alaska

1972-05-05

Janelle Lynn Canady, Miss Alaska USA (1996)

1972-9-06

Tom Ackerman, Alaska Salmon

1973-11-02

Jason Smith, Mystery, Alaska

1973-12-07

Rea Marie Bavilla, Miss USA-Alaska (1997)

1975-02-08

Joshua Morrow, Juneau Alaska, actor (Nicholas Newman-Young & Restless)

1975-05-05

Christine Buschur, Eagle River Alaska, Miss America-Alaska (1997)

1975-07-30

Annie Parisse [Anne Marie Cancelmi], Anchorage, Alaska, American actress (Law & Order, As the World Turns)

1977-09-30

Stacey Storey, Eagle River Alaska, Miss America-Alaska (1996)

1978-11-25

Laurie Miller, Miss Alaska Teen USA (1997)

1979-02-02

Brandee Dawn McCoskey, Miss Alaska Teen USA (1996)

1979-06-20

Sydne Vogel, Anchorage Alaska, figure skater (1996 NW Pac Sr champ)

1979-08-01

Scott Olynek, Mystery, Alaska

1979-12-19

Paul Swinhoe, The Ride: Alaska to Patagonia

1980-04-09

Ryan Northcott, Mystery, Alaska

1981-09-28

Vincent Kartheiser, actor (Hairy Bird, Alaska, Untamed Heart)

1982-04-20

Doug, Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska

1990-03-04

Kai Monture, Saving Alaska

1994-9-17

Alaska Holloway, The Blind Auditions Continue

1997-11-01

Annalyn Miriam Cyrus, Christmas Eve: Alaska

2335-08-19

William T Riker, Valdez Alaska, character on Star Trek Next Generation

2012-10-28

Bristol Palin's former fiance Levi Johnston (21) weds Sunny Oglesby (20) at Settlers Bay Lodge in Wasilla, Alaska

1837-12-13

Herman of Alaska, Russian Orthodox hermit (b. 1756)

1935-08-15

Wiley Post, aviation pioneer, killed in plane crash in Alaska at 36

1935-08-15

Will Rogers, humorist, killed in plane crash in Alaska at 55

1956-03-10

Nellie Lawing, Land of Alaska Nellie

1960-11-05

Johnny Horton, North to Alaska

1962-01-13

Ernie Kovacs, North to Alaska

1977-07-19

Noel Wien, American aviation pioneer (Wien Air Alaska), dies at 78

1984-03-23

Lottie Kruse, The Girl Alaska

1985-08-14

Frank Barton, Alaska: A Modern Frontier (Revised)

1988-10-10

Urban Thielmann, North to Alaska

1997-04-04

Court Shepard, Alaska Passage

2004-08-16

John Armstrong, Pipeline Alaska

2005-08-02

Jay Hammond, The Harriman Alaska Expedition Retraced