1. In 1942, the first troops of the Alaska Highway were sent to Alaska in response to the Pearl Harbor attack. The highway was built to allow the military to quickly move troops and supplies to defend against possible attacks on Alaska.

2. In 1967, the Princess Sophia sank off the coast of Juneau, Alaska, with over 350 passengers and crew members on board. It is considered one of the worst maritime disasters in Alaska's history.

3. In 1974, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) began flowing oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. The pipeline, which is over 800 miles long, is still a critical component of Alaska's economy.

4. In 2013, the massive snowfall in Valdez, Alaska, set a new record for the most snowfall in a single season in the United States. Over 500 inches of snow fell in the town that winter.

5. In 2018, the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 was commemorated with a tsunami siren test throughout the state. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.2, remains the most powerful earthquake to ever hit North America.