1. In 1867, May 5 marked the day when the United States officially took possession of Alaska from Russia in a ceremony known as the Alaska Purchase. The purchase price was $7.2 million, or approximately two cents an acre.
2. On May 5, 1945, resident and WWII veteran Johnny Chance discovered a Japanese balloon bomb that had landed in Alaska. It was the first such balloon bomb to be found on American soil during WWII.
3. The Alaska State Legislature designated May 5, 1989, as Kodiak Island Earthquake Remembrance Day to honor the lives lost and damage caused by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. The 9.2 magnitude quake remains the second largest earthquake ever recorded.
4. May 5, 2002, saw the opening of the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, which serves as a museum and cultural center dedicated to preserving and sharing the diverse cultures of Alaska's indigenous peoples.
5. In 2019, May 5 marked the opening of the new Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum (SLAM) in Juneau, a state-of-the-art facility that houses many of Alaska's most precious historical artifacts and documents. This new facility replaces the old State Museum, State Archives, and State Library buildings with a single, modern, and energy-efficient building.
5 Fun Facts About May 5 In Alaska History
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