1. In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The official transfer ceremony took place on March 30, but the negotiation and planning leading up to the purchase began several months earlier, including on March 17.

2. In 1910, the Iditarod Trail was established as a mail and supply route between the coastal towns of Seward and Nome, passing through numerous small villages and mining camps along the way. Today, the Iditarod Trail is famous for being the route of the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which starts on the first Saturday in March.

3. In 1964, Alaska experienced the second-largest earthquake ever recorded, measuring a magnitude of 9.2 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused massive damage and triggered a tsunami that killed over 100 people in Alaska and neighboring states. The earthquake struck on March 27, but preparation and early warning efforts had been underway in the weeks and months leading up to it, including on March 17.

4. In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon, officially settling the long-standing land claims of Alaska Native peoples and creating a new model of Indigenous self-determination and economic development. March 17 was one of the many days of negotiation and advocacy that led to the passage of this landmark legislation.

5. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred, when the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef in Prince William Sound, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean and causing damage to the local ecosystem that is still being felt today. The spill occurred on March 24, but the events leading up to it, including issues with navigation and the response of Exxon and the government, began much earlier.