1931 |
At the beginning of the Depression, local officials propose a highway to Alaska to spark economic development in British Columbia and the far northwest. A Congressional committee approves the plan, but the Canadian government rejects it for fear that Americans will claim sovereignty over the Canadian west.
Charles Lindbergh, accompanied by his wife Anne, flies a plane from New York to Shanghai, China, via the arctic circle of Alaska. Anne will later write an account of the famous flight, entitled North to the Orient.
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1932 |
Eighteen years after the continental U.S. is wired from coast to coast, the first telephone wires connect to Juneau and Nome.
November 21: Slim Williams begins a trek from Alaska to Washington D.C. on a dog sled to speak with politicians in support of a highway proposal known as Route A. Strongly supported by British Columbia, Washington State and Alaska, the proposed route will connect Vancouver and Alaska, running along a scenic route a short distance inland from the Pacific Coast. During his travels Williams becomes a minor celebrity, and when he reaches Washington, he is immediately invited to speak with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
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1938 |
The last of the Alaskan copper mines is closed, as the period of rapid expansion of the mining sector comes to an end.
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1939 |
 At the age of 57, Slim Williams, sometimes riding, sometimes dragging, travels with a 300-pound motorcycle from Fairbanks to Seattle in another publicity stunt to garner support for Route A.
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1940 |
72,000 people live in Alaska, with natives comprising nearly 45 percent of the total population. At this time, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad and the Alaska Railroad provide the only land transportation service in Alaska. The Navy constructs air stations in Kodiak and Sitka.
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1941 |
December: After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the United States government forces Aleutians to evacuate their homes in the Aleutian Islands for fear of a Japanese invasion. The nearest Japanese military base is only 750 miles away. Over the next few years, America's military presence will increase dramatically in Alaska; from 500 in 1940, the number of troops will reach 124,000 in 1943.
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1942 |
February 6: The U.S. Army's Chief of Staff reveals a plan to construct a military supply route to Alaska. Five days later, President Roosevelt will authorize the building of the Alaska Highway.
April 11: Construction officially begins on the Alaska Highway. When the Army Corps of Engineers comes to the Northwest, Alaska's population is 60,000. The neighboring Canadian territories are much more sparsely populated.
May 17: Twelve men drown when their makeshift ferry is overcome in a sudden storm on Charlie Lake in British Columbia.
June 1: After nearly two months of work in difficult terrain, the Army Corps of Engineers has completed only 95 miles of the Alaska Highway.
June 4: Japan bombs Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, killing more than 100 Americans. Within less than a week, the Japanese invade the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska. They will occupy the islands for nearly a year. Aleuts taken prisoner will be held in Japanese camps for the duration of the war.
June 30: The Army Corps of Engineers speeds its progress in the month of June, building 265 miles of the Alaska Highway.
July: During this month, aided by the good working conditions, the Army Corps of Engineers picks up the pace, and builds 400 more miles of highway.
August 31: An article in Time magazine heralds the construction underway in Alaska and brings the project to the attention of Americans.
October 25: At 4 p.m., the Army Corps of Engineers closes the final gap on the pioneer road that laid the foundation for the Alaska Highway. Civilian contractors managed by the Public Roads Administration continue their work on the more substantial highway.
November 20: The Alaska Highway is officially opened to military traffic as the first truck makes the trek from Whitehorse to Fairbanks. A ceremony at Soldiers Summit is part of a wartime propaganda effort. In reality, work on the road will continue.
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1943 |
July: The Japanese, weakened by the turning tide of war in the Pacific, evacuate the Aleutians.
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1945 |
Over the course of World War II, the United States has invested nearly $2 billion in Alaska. During this time, railroads, airfields and roads have been modernized. The military presence in Alaska is increased dramatically, and by 1950 the civilian population of Alaska will reach 128,643, up from 72,524 in 1940.
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1946 |
After the war, Alaskan residents begin a campaign for statehood. A referendum passes, with 9,630 Alaskans voting for statehood and 6,822 against.
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1947 |
Congress begins hearings on the Alaska statehood bill. However, the Korean War interrupts the legislative process, and the statehood bill will be forced to the back burner until 1955.
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1946 |
April 1: The United States transfers control over the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway to Canada. In order to reduce future American claims to the Highway, the Canadian government repays the U.S. for the cost of the Canadian portions of the construction.
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1948 |
The Alaska Highway is opened for public transportation on a limited basis, with checkpoints and convoys used to ensure safe travel along the still-rough road.
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1953 |
Television makes its debut in Alaska; broadcasters send out the first TV signal from Anchorage.
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1955 |
The Alaska legislature holds a constitutional convention and drafts a constitution in its push for statehood.
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1956 |
Alaskans ratify the state constitution, and one representative and two senators are sent to the U.S. Congress. The first U.S. senators from Alaska are former territorial governor Ernest Gruening and William A. Egan, the president of the Constitutional Convention. Alaskans send Ralph J. Rivers, a former territorial attorney general, as their U.S. representative. The Congressional delegation still cannot vote, but the group lobbies in Washington, D.C. to secure statehood.
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1958 |
May 28: The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Alaska statehood bill.
June 30: The U.S. Senate passes the Alaska statehood bill. A week later, on July 7, President Dwight Eisenhower will sign the bill into law.
August 26: Alaskans head to the polls in a special election to affirm their wish for statehood. With heavy voter turnout, Alaskans approve of becoming a state by a six to one margin.
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1959 |
 
January 3: Alaska is officially proclaimed the 49th U.S. state. More than 25 percent of the state's land is titled to the Alaskan government.
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2004 |
Alaska's total population is approximately 648,000 people, of which Alaska Natives account for just over 15 percent. Each year, about 360,000 people make the trek across the Alaska Highway.
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