1. In 1919, the United States Congress passed the Alaska Railroad Act, which authorized the construction of a railway connecting the Alaskan port of Seward to Fairbanks. This transportation link was crucial for the development of Alaska's economy and played a key role in the state's growth throughout the 20th century.

2. On November 29, 1942, a Japanese submarine fired shells at the U.S. military base at Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Islands. This was the first time that a foreign enemy had attacked American soil since the War of 1812. The attack signaled the beginning of the Aleutian Campaign, a series of battles fought on the islands throughout 1942 and 1943.

3. The Alaskan earthquake of 1964, which remains one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded, occurred on November 29. The earthquake, which measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, lasted for more than four minutes and caused widespread destruction throughout Alaska. The quake triggered a massive tsunami that caused further damage and loss of life.

4. In 1959, Alaskans voted to become the 49th state of the United States. The vote took place on November 3, but it wasn't until November 29 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act into law, officially admitting Alaska as a state.

5. Novelist John Green, author of "The Fault in Our Stars" and other popular works, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 29, 1977. Although Green did not grow up in Alaska, he has spoken openly about his love for the state and his experiences living there for a period of time.