The Nifty Fifty: Alaska

Alaska is a state in the western region of the US with the abbreviation AK. It became the 49th state on January 3, 1959. This means that Alaska is 64 years old, as of January 2023. Alaska acquired its name either from the Eskimo word alakshak, meaning peninsula, or the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning great land.

Alaska is the largest state and the 48th most populous. The capital of Alaska is Juneau. The state’s demonym is Alaskan and the state is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Canadian territory of Yukon, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

The State Motto of Alaska is North to the Future.

The official nickname of Alaska is The Last Frontier, however, the state does have a couple unofficial nicknames that are sometimes used. The meanings behind the following, unofficial nicknames are not clearly defined, but this may be due to their self explanatory nature.

The Great Land; this nickname is featured on the Alaska quarter.
The Land of the Midnight Sun.

Alaska’s vast landscape is full of alpine and Arctic tundras, boreal forests, wetlands, Pacific coastlines, and even rare, temperate coastal rainforests.

Alaska is known for northern lights, midnight sun, fishing industries, and oil industries. Alaska is also home to 3 million lakes, the largest US national forest, more than half of the world’s glaciers, and more pilots per capita than any other state. Alaska also has Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, whose peak is the highest point in North America. The state possesses deposits of gold, silver, copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, graphite, and a multitude of rare earth elements.

Colonel Archie Van Winkle was born in Juneau, Alaska. In 1942, Van Winkle enlisted into the US Marine Corps and served in combat in the Pacific Theater of World War Two. Van Winkle reenlisted into the Marine Corps a few years after his first enlistment ended and served in combat in the Korean War, during which he was awarded the Metal of Honor for his gallantry at the advance to the Chosin Reservoir despite a couple, severe wounds. In the 1960s, Van Winkle was deployed to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War as a commanding officer, serving in combat yet again. He is the only Metal of Honor recipient from Alaska.

One of the most iconic American dressings is Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. California is often credited as the origin of the dressing, which is where the inventor moved after inventing the recipe, however, he came across the idea and perfected the recipe in Alaska.

The Battle of Attu took place in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, in May of 1943. This was the only battle fought on North American soil during World War Two.

One fascinating fact about Alaska is that, due to its enormous size, the state has more land islands, volcanoes, rivers, lakes, and shoreline than any other state.

One strange fact about Alaska is that its capital is the only state capital that is inaccessible by road.

What fact about Alaska most interests you?