1. In 1915, Mount Katmai in Alaska erupted, resulting in one of the largest recorded volcanic explosions in the 20th century. The eruption lasted for 60 hours, and the resulting ash cloud was seen as far away as Seattle, Washington.

2. On May 11, 1937, the Japanese submarine I-25 launched a seaplane that flew over and bombed a forest near Brookings, Oregon, marking the only time that the continental United States was bombed during World War II.

3. In 1980, a massive landslide occurred near Lituya Bay, Alaska, causing a wave estimated to be over 1,700 feet tall. This was the largest wave that had ever been recorded in modern history.

4. The first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska was established on May 11, 1784, when a group of Russian fur traders founded a settlement on Kodiak Island.

5. On May 11, 1955, the Anchorage Daily News published its first issue, becoming the largest newspaper in Alaska. Today, it remains one of the primary sources of news and information in the state.