1. The Alaska Boundary Dispute was resolved on August 20, 1903, when the United States and Great Britain agreed on the border between Alaska and Canada. The dispute had been ongoing for years and involved conflicting claims to the area by the two countries. The settlement established the current boundary line between Alaska and Canada.

2. On August 20, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States, following years of campaigning by Alaskans for statehood. The statehood movement gained momentum after World War II and was finally approved by Congress in 1958. Alaska officially became a state on January 3, 1959.

3. In 1967, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 20. The act provided for the establishment of Alaska Native corporations and the settlement of land claims by Alaska Natives. The ANCSA was a landmark law that recognized Native Alaskans' rights to their ancestral lands and helped to restore some of the damage done by decades of colonization and exploitation.

4. On August 20, 1977, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) was completed, and the first oil flowed through the pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. The construction of the pipeline had been a massive undertaking, involving thousands of workers and costing billions of dollars. The completion of TAPS marked a significant milestone in Alaska's history and transformed the state's economy.

5. August 20, 2014, was the start of the Funny River Fire, one of the largest wildfires in Alaska's history. The fire started on the Kenai Peninsula and burned over 200,000 acres of land before it was finally contained. The fire destroyed dozens of homes and businesses and forced thousands of people to evacuate. The firefighting efforts were a significant challenge due to the remote location and rugged terrain, but firefighters managed to contain the fire after weeks of hard work.