History of Alaska

Before European exploration, the region of Alaska was inhabited by numerous indigenous people. Tlingit, Tsimshian, Aleut, Yupik, Alutiiq, Gwichin were some the native tribes in this region. The Tlingit developed a matriarchal society in what is today known as Southeast Alaska. The Haida also inhabited the southeast region, while the Aleut inhabited the Aleutian Islands.

It is usually believed that the first European to reach Alaska was St. Gabriel under the authority of surveyor M.S. Gvozdev and I. Fyodorov, an assistant navigator. He reached the region on August 21, 1732. Another European expedition was led by Vitus Bering in 1741. The first permanent settlement was founded in 1784. In 1789, Spanish built a fort and a settlement in Nootka Sound. During the early- to mid-19th century, the Russian-American Company carried out a colonization program.

The Russians never fully captured Alaska. Sitka, renamed New Archangel (1804-1867), located on Baranof Island, became the capital of Russian America. In 1867 United States of America purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. For the first decade after becoming a part of America, Sitka was the only community inhabited by the American settlers.

During the late 19th century stretching to early 20th century, thousands of miners and settlers moved to Alaska. It was incorporated as a territory in 1912. The 1900 legislation mandated the transfer of capital from Sitka to Juneau. Alaska was approved as a state by the Congress on July 7, 1958. It was officially proclaimed a state on January 3, 1959. The state motto, "North to the Future" was adopted in 1967.

During the Second World War, the three outer Aleutian Islands - Attu, Agattu, and Kiska, were invaded by Japanese troops. The state occupied between June 1942 and August 1943. The construction of military base camps during the war contributed to the population growth of a few Alaskan cities. On March 27, 1964, the massive "Good Friday Earthquake", with a moment magnitude of 9.2, killed 133 people and destroyed houses and villages. It was the third-most powerful earthquake in the world. In 1968, oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay which led to an oil boom in the region.