Alaska Alive By rsnive 26,000 BCE AK forms fist Glaciation 20,000 BCE First Alaskans 1725 Russians initiate contact with AK 1741 Bering and Chirikov Exploration 1774 Juan Perez discovered Prince of Wales Island, Dixon Sound 1778 Captain Cook Explores Alaskan Coastline 1853 Russian explorers found oil in Cook Inlet 1867 Russia Sells AK Territory to US 1869 Sitka Times, first Alaskan newspaper, published 1877 Sheldon Jackson extended Christian vision to Alaska 1878 Canning Salmon Popularizes 1884 First Organic Act brings civil Govt. to AK for the first time Public education 1885 AK establishes borders Anglo Russian Treaty 1899 Liquor Licensing system 1900 Juneau Established as Capital 1907 Chugach and Tongass Established as National Parks 1912 AK becomes US territory 1912 Mt. Katmai exploded, created Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes 1912 13-year old Benny Benson won contest for design of Alaska flag 1913 Women get to vote 1917 Mt McKinley NP established 1940 Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base established 1942 AK highway completed 1956 Constitution of AK approved 1959 AK Becomes 49th State 1961 PFD Established 1964 Good Friday earthquake occurred, property damage over $500 million; town of Valdez completely destroyed 1968 Oil found at Prudhoe Bay 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 1980 Personal State Tax reformed 1983 Time zone AK standard 1988 Quality Schools Initiative 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1994 Federal judge ordered Exxon to pay $6.75 billion for 1989 oil spill 2008 Republican Presidential nominee, John McCain, chose Governor Sarah Palin as VP running mate
