Alaska

Alaska is the 49th state of the United States. It was admitted on January 3, 1959. The population of the state is 626,932, as of 2000, according to the census. The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning great country, mainland or great land. It is bordered by Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska is the largest state by area in the United States. It is larger in area than all but 18 of the world's nations.

Notable Alaskans

The National Statuary Hall of the United States of America is part of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Each state has selected one or two distinguished citizens and provided statues. Alaska's are of its first two senators:

Related Topics:
National Statuary Hall - Capitol - Washington, D.C.

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• Edward Lewis "Bob" Bartlett (1904–1968) was the territorial delegate to the US Congress from 1944 to 1958, and was elected as the first senior US senator in 1958 and re-elected in 1964. There are streets, buildings, and even the first state ferry, named for him.
• Ernest Gruening (1886–1974) was appointed Governor of the Territory of Alaska in 1939, and served in that position for fourteen years. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1958 and re-elected in 1962.
• Jay Hammond (1922–2005) was Governor during the building of the Alaska Pipeline and established the Alaska Permanent Fund, providing Alaskans with essentially free money. He is regarded as somewhat of a hero because of this. He also governor during passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and effectively served to moderate associated issues within the state among disparate interest groups ranging from conservationists to natives to pro-development interests.
• Fran Ulmer was the first woman elected to statewide office—she became Lieutenant Governor in 1994.
• Republican Lisa Murkowski was appointed as a U.S. Senator, by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski a long time U.S. Senator, to fill his Senate term, vacated in 2002. She won her first election in 2004 in a close and expensive Senate race with former Governor Democrat Tony Knowles, who had served 8 years as Governor and many years as the mayor of Anchorage prior.
• George Sharrock (1910–2005) moved to the territory before statehood, eventually elected as the mayor of Anchorage and served during the Good Friday Earthquake in March 1964. This was the most devastating earthquake to hit Alaska and it sunk beach property, damaged roads and destroyed buildings all over the south central area. Sharrock, sometimes called the "earthquake mayor," led the city's rebuilding effort over six months.