1. In 1867, the Alaska Territory was officially transferred from Russia to the United States. This day is now known as Alaska Day and is celebrated annually on October 18.

2. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. This historic event was witnessed by scientists at the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska.

3. In 1988, a strong earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the region of the Alaska Range. The quake caused significant damage to infrastructure and buildings in the area, but thankfully no fatalities were reported.

4. In 1994, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a Wilderness Area, providing additional protection for the area's unique ecological and cultural resources.

5. In 2006, construction began on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which stretches over 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope to the port of Valdez in south-central Alaska. The pipeline remains an important part of Alaska's economy to this day.