GLCEventAlaska Discovered CNoteVitus Jonassen Bering sails through what was later named Bering Strait, separating Asia and North America. St. Lawrence Island becomes the first part of Alaska to be sighted and named by whites. dhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates1.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.James Cook Explores AlaskaRBritish Captain James Cook explores Alaskan coast, seeking Northwest Passage back to the Atlantic. On the way back to England his crew almost mutinied, wanting to go back to Alaska, after stopping in China and discovering how much sea otter pelts were worth. Nhttp://www.alaskacruise.com/Akhist.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Russia Claims Alaska7[ Kodiak IslandkGrigori Shelikhov establishes a village on Kodiak Island, and claims the adjoining coast for Russia. dhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates1.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.First Church in Alaska{i Kodiak island~The first church in Alaska is built on Kodiak Island by missionaries from the Valaam Monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church.dhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates1.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Fur Trade MonopolypPThe Russian-American Company is given a monopoly of all fur trade in Alaska. Jhttp://www.akhistory.org/index.cfm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Gold Discovered in AlaskaKenai PeninsulaBRussian mining engineer discovers gold and coal on Kenai PeninsulaYhttp://www.gold-rush.org/ALASKA/time/Ala02.html Taken from the Internet, April 30, 2002. U S Purchases Alaska from RussiaUnited States Secretary of State William H. Seward offered Russia $7,200,000, or two cents per acre, for Alaska. On October 18, 1867 Alaska officially became the property of the United States. Many Americans called the purchase "Seward's Folly." Rhttp://www.50states.com/facts/alaska.htm Taken from the Internet, April 30, 2002.Becomes District of AlaskaThe residents of Alaska were successful in convincing Washington that some form of local government was necessary. The First Organic Act created the District of Alaska, and allowed for the appointment of a skeleton bureaucracy. Although the act allowed for a school system, district and circuit courts, and the enforcement of mining laws, it had a lengthy list of shortcomings. All officials were appointed by the president, the act didn't allow for an Alaskan representative in Washington, the handful of officials appointed could not hope to govern a territory the size of Alaska, and no provision was made for either a system of land laws or for the collection of taxes.hhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-Alaska1884.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Discovery of Oil Copper RiverpThe first oil is discovered in Alaska, at the mouth of the Copper River. The field went into production in 1902.dhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates3.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Chilkoot AvalancheTons of wet snow buried hundreds of stampeders struggling up "The Scales" in the Chilkoot Pass. Volunteers dug for days to rescue the living and retrieve the dead. Jack the dog was among the living, and by April 30, he was back in the harness, hauling supplies to the gold fields.]http://www.gold-rush.org/ALASKA/stories/Ala03d.html Taken from the Internet, April 30, 2002.Building of the Alaska Railroad!Construction begins at Seward. In 1918, the first train travelled between Seward and Anchorage. In 1923, President Warren G. Harding drives "Golden Spike" to complete the Alaska Railroad line from Seward to Fairbanks . Nhttp://www.ci.anchorage.ak.us/History/ Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Sea Otter Hunting EndsgZSea otter hunting is ended by international treaty because the animal is nearly extinct. Jhttp://www.akhistory.org/index.cfm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Becomes a Territory After vigorous newspaper editorializing and promotion, the Organic Act of 1912 finally gave Alaska territorial status and a local legislature, which was to convene in Juneau in March of 1913. Of the twenty-four legislators (eight senators and sixteen representatives), ten were involved in mining as either large mine operators, miners or mining engineers. The first act of the First Territorial Legislature was to give women the right to vote - long before the federal government mandated it. They also enacted considerable labor legislation, including the eight hour work day. The preponderance of mining men in the legislature and the public's interest in mining was reflected in mine safety codes, provisions for mine inspection, and the creation of the office of mine inspector.http://www.gold-rush.org/ALASKA/stories/Ala03k.html and http://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates4.htm Taken from the Internet, April 30, 2002.University of Alaska CreatedXhttp://www.everythingalaska.com/eta.history.html Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.WW II5;ZWhen America declared war on Japan in 1941, the nation was suddenly aware of Alaska's strategic position. When Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands in 1943, more than 140,000 military personnel were stationed in Alaska. The Aleutian campaign, known as the "One Thousand Mile War," was the first battle fought on American soil since the Civil War. Nhttp://www.alaskasbest.com/history.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.!First Woman to Climb Mt. McKinleyCHBarbara Washburn becomes the first woman ever to climb Mt. McKinley. Xhttp://library.thinkquest.org/11313/Time-line/ Taken from the Internet, April 30, 2002.+Formation of the Alaska Statehood CommitteeFThe Alaska Statehood Committee was formed in 1949 to intensify efforts toward statehood, calling on national and labor organizations, newspaper editors, and state governors to support and publicize Alaska's situation. Alaska's governor, Gruening himself compiled a "committee of one-hundred" prominent Americans who supported Alaska's aspirations. The Korean War, which began in June of 1950 and lasted into 1952, effectively put concerns about Alaska statehood on the back burner. ]http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/BARTLETT/49state.html Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Becomes a State1TThrough the combined efforts of Ernest Gruening, Bob Bartlett, and many other unacknowledged Alaskans, the statehood cause was finally victorious. President Eisenhower signed the official declaration which made Alaska the 49th state. The new American flag featured seven rows of seven stars each. When Alaska became a state in 1959, it was widely acknowledged that the new state, with so much land mass and so few people, would need to depend on resource development to support itself. At statehood, Alaska was given 104 million acres of federal land as its own; it also was to continue receiving 90% of royalties from federal oil leases.http://www.akhistory.org/index.cfm and http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/BARTLETT/49state.html Taken from the internet, May 02, 2002.2First African-American Woman in Alaska LegislatureQV_Blanche McSmith becomes the first African-American woman to serve in the Alaskan legislature. Xhttp://library.thinkquest.org/11313/Time-line/ Taken from the Internet, April 30, 2002.Earthquake Hits Anchorage[ AnchorageAn earthquake with a magnitude of 8.4 on the Richter Scale hits the Anchorage area, killing 115 people and destroying hundreds of homes.dhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates5.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002."Alaska Native Claim Settlement ActfThe Alaska Native Claim Settlement Act (ANCSA) is signed into law by the President. Among the major provisions were the transfer of title to 40 million acres of land to native corporations, and a cash payment of $962.5 million.dhttp://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-dates5.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Building of the Alaska Pipelinehin_On November 16, 1973 final approval for the pipeline is granted and construction begins. Xhttp://www.everythingalaska.com/eta.history.html Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.Exxon Valdez Oil SpillOHAt 4 minutes past midnight, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alaska's spectacular Prince William Sound. An environmental nightmare began that changed not only Prince William Sound, but the world. No longer would people blindly believe promises from corporations that their operations were completely safe. _http://www.explorenorth.com/library/weekly/aa032499.htm Taken from the Internet, May 02, 2002.