1. 1958 - Alaska became the 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959, but it was on July 8, 1958 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Bill, paving the way for statehood.
2. 1912 - On July 8, 1912, the town of Fairbanks experienced a devastating fire that burned down most of the wooden structures in the town. The fire started in a bakery and quickly spread due to high winds.
3. 1947 - The Flying Tigers, an American Volunteer Group that fought in China during World War II, held a reunion in Anchorage on July 8, 1947. The group included pilots from all over the United States who were known for their bravery and skill in combat.
4. 1981 - The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which spans 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, began operating on July 8, 1981. The pipeline, which transports crude oil from Alaska's North Slope to the port of Valdez for shipment to refineries, is one of the world's largest pipeline systems.
5. 2005 - On July 8, 2005, Mount St. Augustine, a volcano located on the Alaska Peninsula, erupted for the first time in 20 years. The eruption produced an ash plume that rose to an altitude of 25,000 feet and disrupted air travel in the region.