The history of Alaska dates back to the Paleolithic Era when it was inhabited by people who crossed the Bering Land Bridge in western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by the Eskimos and a variety of Native American groups. Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator in the service of the Russian Navy aboard the St. Peter, is often is credited with the discovery of Alaska. William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State engineered the Alaskan purchase on April 9, 1867 for US$7.2 million (approximately US$90 million in 2005 dollars). The nearby Yukon Territory in Canada and Alaska itself were the site of a gold rush in the 19th century, and they remained a significant source of mining even after gold reserves diminished. On July 7, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act into law which paved the way for Alaska's admission into the Union as the 49th State on January 3, 1959.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Alaska

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1863: The Football Association, the oldest governing body in football, was formed in London in England. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Football_Association)

1881: The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place in Tombstone, Arizona, United States. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfight_at_the_O.K._Corral)

1955: Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem declared himself President of South Vietnam, replacing Nguyen Emperor Bao Dai as the head of state. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo_Dinh_Diem)

1979: President Park Chunghee of South Korea was assassinated by the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency and a long-time friend, Kim Jaekyu. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Chunghee)

2001: U.S. President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act into law. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"I know that it will hurt, I know that it will break your heart, the way things are, and the way they've been. Don't spread the discontent, don't spread the lies, don't make the same mistakes with your own life." -- Natalie Merchant (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Natalie_Merchant)