This week in Alaskan History: On July 31, 1905 the Signal Corps of the Army began laying extension of the submarine telegraph cable from Valdez to Seward at the head of Resurrection Bay. Congress Approves The First Cable Lines In Alaska After the discovery of gold at Cape Nome, a great influx of people descended upon Alaska in the late 1800s. Due to the this, the War Department … [Read more...]
This Week In Alaskan History: Vitus Bering
This Week in Alaskan History: On July 15, 1741 Dutch explorer Vitus Bering and Russian explorer Aleksei Chirikov were the first Europeans to view Alaska. The Bering Sea, Bering Straight, Bering Glacier, Bering Island, and Bering Land Bridge are all named after Bering. Vitus Bering Bering, a Russian explorer of Danish descent, was the captain-commander of two expeditions that … [Read more...]
This Week In Alaskan History: The Voyage of Understanding
This Week in Alaskan History: On June 20, 1923 President Warren Harding became the first US president to visit Alaska and Canada. His trip was called the Voyage of Understanding. He sought to gain first-hand knowledge of the problems that faced Alaskans and to develop the resources of Alaska. The Voyage of Understanding President Warren Harding initiated his visit to Alaska in 1923 … [Read more...]
This Week In Alaskan History: Noel Wien
This week in Alaska History: On June 8, 1899 Noel Wien was born. He was the first pilot to fly from Fairbanks to Seattle and the first to make a roundtrip flight between Alaska and Asia. In 1927 Noel Wien and other partners founded Wien Air Alaska, the first airline in Alaska, as well as one of the first in the United States. Noel Wien’s Early Years Noel Wien was born on June 8, … [Read more...]
The Seismic Wave Warning System
This Week in Alaskan History: On April 1, 1946 a massive undersea earthquake off the coast of Alaska triggered a tsunami that reached as far as Hawaii. It prompted the U.S. to establish the Seismic Sea Wave Warning System just two years later. 04/01/46 Undersea Earthquake and Alaska In the middle of the night, 13,000 feet beneath the ocean surface, a 7.4-magnitude tremor was … [Read more...]
Seward’s Day
Today Alaskans will celebrate Seward’s Day. On the last Monday of every March, Alaskans recognize Seward's Day. It commemorates the signing of the treaty by which the United States purchased Alaska from Russia. History of the Alaska Purchase U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward signed a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7 million. Despite the bargain … [Read more...]
