1. In 2004, Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, became the first female governor of the state. She went on to run for vice president in 2008 as the running mate of John McCain.

2. On August 23, 1966, the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America occurred in Alaska. The earthquake, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale, killed more than 130 people and caused extensive damage to the state.

3. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on August 23, 1971. The act settled land claims with Alaska Native tribes and established an Alaska Native corporation to manage the land and distribute profits to the tribes.

4. In 1912, the first airplane flight in Alaska was made by two pioneers, James and Lilly Martin, who flew their Curtiss Model D biplane from Fairbanks to the nearby mining town of Chatanika.

5. The Yukon Quest, an annual 1,000-mile sled dog race, starts in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, and ends in Fairbanks, Alaska. The race typically starts on the first Saturday of February, but in 2020, it was rescheduled to start on August 23 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.