1. In 1880, the USGS established the first seismic monitoring station in the United States in Sitka, Alaska. This station was responsible for studying earthquakes and volcanic activity in Alaska and throughout the Pacific.

2. On July 29, 1914, the Alaska Native Brotherhood and the Alaska Native Sisterhood were founded in Sitka. These organizations are dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of Alaska Native people and have been instrumental in advancing the causes of education and civil rights in Alaska.

3. In 1958, the U.S. Air Force successfully launched a Nike-Cajun rocket from the Kodiak Island launch site, making it one of the first rocket launches from Alaska.

4. In 2005, an Alaska Airlines flight carrying 87 passengers and crew crashed into the ocean near Los Angeles. Despite the tragic accident, all passengers and crew survived due to the quick actions of the pilot and the efforts of the Coast Guard.

5. On July 29, 2018, a massive landslide caused by melting permafrost in the Arctic city of Shishmaref destroyed several homes and forced residents to evacuate to higher ground. This event highlighted the increasing threat that climate change poses to Alaska's infrastructure and coastal communities.