1. In 1867, the United States officially purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The purchase was referred to as "Seward's Folly" because many Americans believed that Alaska was a barren wasteland with no value.

2. In 1899, the Nome Gold Rush began when gold was discovered on the beaches of Nome. Thousands of people flocked to Nome to try their luck at finding gold, and the town's population soared from a few hundred to over 20,000 in just a few years.

3. In 1964, the Great Alaskan Earthquake struck with a magnitude of 9.2. It remains the most powerful earthquake to ever hit North America and caused widespread damage and loss of life across the state.

4. In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law, ending a century-long struggle for Alaska Natives to regain control over their lands and resources. The act established 12 regional corporations and over 200 village corporations to manage Native lands and resources.

5. In 2006, a group of Inupiat Eskimo hunters in Barrow, Alaska, successfully hunted a bowhead whale using traditional methods. The hunt was the first successful bowhead whale hunt in Barrow in over 70 years, and it demonstrated the continued importance of traditional hunting practices to Alaska Natives.