1. In 1960, a massive earthquake measuring a magnitude of 5.3 struck Fairbanks, causing significant damage to many buildings.

2. The famous American explorer Robert Peary was born on July 12, 1856. Peary is best known for his expeditions to the Arctic, during which he claimed to have reached the North Pole in 1909.

3. July 12, 1980, was the day when a plane crash claimed the lives of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and four other people. The accident occurred in Alaska's southwestern region, and Senator Stevens was on his way to a fishing trip when the plane crashed.

4. In 1937, the first salmon of the season was caught at a fish trap in the Copper River, marking the beginning of the annual salmon fishing season in Alaska.

5. On July 12, 2007, a massive landslide caused by heavy rains blocked the main highway leading to and from the town of Seward. The landslide covered a section of the road that was over 100 feet wide and 15 feet deep, and it took several days to clear the debris and reopen the highway.