1. In 1867, the United States government formally took possession of Alaska from Russia after the ratification of the Alaska Purchase Treaty. This event is celebrated annually as Alaska Day on October 18.

2. In 1918, Spanish flu pandemic reached the territory of Alaska, claiming the lives of numerous Alaskans. The outbreak had a devastating impact on Alaska Native communities who were particularly vulnerable due to lack of medical resources and poor sanitation.

3. In 1961, a magnitude 8.5 earthquake shook southeastern Alaska, followed by a massive tsunami that caused extensive damage to coastal towns and villages. The disaster claimed the lives of five people and caused $10 million in damages.

4. In 1982, a former employee of the Anchorage Times newspaper Maurice "Moss" Trenerry hijacked a Northwest Airlines jet and demanded to be flown to Cuba. The plane was forced to land in Anchorage where Trenerry was apprehended by law enforcement officials.

5. In 2011, Alaska Airlines Flight 329 en route from Seattle to Anchorage was forced to make an emergency landing in Juneau due to the failure of its horizontal stabilizer. All 134 passengers and crew members were safely evacuated from the plane.