1. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States on February 3rd. The statehood of Alaska was a historic moment, as it marked the official end of Alaska as a territory and its transition into a state.

2. On February 3, 1945, U.S. Army troops landed on the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska during World War II. These islands had been occupied by Japanese troops, and the U.S. Army was able to successfully drive them out in a series of battles.

3. In 1917, a severe winter storm hit the coast of Alaska on February 3rd, causing damage to several towns and villages. The wind and waves were so strong that they caused ships to run aground and buildings to collapse.

4. The famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which runs from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, begins on the first Saturday of March each year. However, the ceremonial start of the race is held on the first Saturday in February in downtown Anchorage, on a street called Fourth Avenue, which is closed to vehicle traffic for the occasion.

5. February 3, 1962, was a significant day in the history of the United States Air Force, as Lt. Col. John H. Glenn jr. became the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn piloted the spacecraft Friendship 7 around the Earth three times in just under five hours, and his feat helped to boost American confidence in the space race against the Soviet Union.