Below are five interesting facts about December 24th in Alaska history:

1. In 1814, Russian explorer Ivan Fedorov discovered Attu Island, the westernmost island in the Aleutian chain of Alaska, marking the furthest point of Russia's territorial expansion in the Pacific Ocean.

2. On December 24, 1914, the first successful radio broadcast from the United States to Europe occurred when the U.S. Naval Radio Station in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, transmitted a Christmas message to the U.S. Navy's battleship fleet in the Atlantic, which was then relayed to Britain.

3. During World War II, the Alaska Highway, a strategic military supply route between the contiguous United States and Alaska, was officially opened on December 24, 1942, after being constructed in less than a year, connecting Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska.

4. On December 24, 1960, a major earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale struck near the Gulf of Alaska, triggering a tsunami that caused significant damage along the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, and California, and even reaching Hawaii and Japan.

5. In 1988, a commercial airplane crashed into the Chilkoot Mountains near Juneau, Alaska, on December 24, killing all 11 people on board. The investigation revealed that the cause of the crash was due to pilot error and inadequate training.