1. The 1964 Alaska earthquake, the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded, occurred on December 26. The quake measured 9.2 magnitude on the Richter scale and caused widespread damage and tsunamis that devastated coastal towns.

2. On December 26, 1996, an Anchorage-bound Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the ocean off the coast of California, killing all 88 people on board. The cause was determined to be a faulty part in the plane's horizontal stabilizer.

3. In 1982, the Sitka National Historical Park was established on December 26. The park is home to important cultural and historical sites, including Tlingit totem poles and the site of the 1804 Battle of Sitka between the Tlingit people and Russian fur traders.

4. On December 26, 1953, the city of Anchorage experienced a record-breaking snowfall of 15.8 inches in a single day. The heavy snowfall caused power outages, transportation disruptions, and building collapses.

5. December 26, 1917 saw the first commercial flight in Alaska history. The flight took off from Fairbanks and landed in McGrath, covering a distance of 275 miles. The flight marked the beginning of aviation in Alaska and paved the way for air travel to remote parts of the state.