1. The Alaska statehood vote was passed on July 2, 1958, making Alaska the 49th state of the United States.

2. On July 2, 1917, the deadliest tsunami in Alaskan history struck the coastlines of the Aleutian Islands, killing 5 people and causing widespread damage.

3. Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, one of the largest pipeline systems in the world, was completed on July 2, 1977. The pipeline stretches 800 miles, from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

4. On July 2, 1971, the U.S. Navy submarine USS Guitarro became the first submarine to pass beneath the North Pole, completing a 1,590-mile underwater journey from the Arctic Ocean to the Greenland Sea.

5. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which provided for the transfer of over 44 million acres of land to Alaskan natives and the establishment of 13 regional native corporations, was signed into law on July 2, 1971. This marked a significant milestone in the recognition of indigenous rights in Alaska.