1. In 1783, explorer John Meares arrived in Alaska and claimed the surrounding area for Great Britain, which contributed to the boundary disputes between the United States and Canada years later.

2. On June 3, 1925, the U.S. Navy's airship USS Shenandoah crashed in southeastern Ohio during a thunderstorm, killing 14 of the 42 crew members. This incident marked the first fatal crash of an American airship.

3. In 1958, Alaska became the 49th state in the Union after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act, which granted statehood and U.S. citizenship to over 235,000 residents of the territory.

4. The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Good Friday earthquake, occurred on March 27 but had lasting effects on June 3 of that year. The quake, which had a magnitude of 9.2 and was the strongest ever recorded in North America, caused catastrophic damage and triggered tsunamis that devastated many coastal communities.

5. In 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcano located in Washington state near the Alaska border, erupted, spewing ash and debris across the region. The eruption's effects were felt as far north as Anchorage, where 2.5 inches of ash fell on the city, disrupting air travel and causing respiratory problems for residents.