Timeline: History of Alaska

14,000 BCE

People being crossing into Alaska via the Bering land bridge

People Event

9770 BCE

The Mesa Site is th earliest evidence of human occupation in Alaska

People Event

1741

Danish navigator Vitus Bering Spies Alaska

People Event

1741

European "discovery" of Alaska

Major Event

1784

Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov founds Three Saints Bay

Land Event

1784

Grigory Shelikhov creates missions and has scholars work to translate the bible in Aleut

Education Event

1799

Aleksandr Baranoc established the Russian American Company

People Event

1834

Father Ioann Veniaminov transferred to Sitka from the Russian Orthodox Church

People Event

1841

Veniaminov appointed Bishop of Sitka and Alaska

People Event

1841

Bishop Veniaminov published his works on the geology, botony, and anthropology of Alaska and parts of the Aleut language translated.

Education Event

Period: 1841 to 1845

Veniaminov begin to translate the bible into Tlingit and creates a bilingual education system in Russian and Tlingit

Education Event

1845

Bishop Veniaminov opens New Archangel Seminary which taught six years of Aleut, Tlingit, and Yupik.

Education Event

Period: 1867 to 1877

Alaska controlled by U.S. Army

Major Event

Period: 1867 to 1884

Churches become the main source of education in Alaska

Education Event

Aug 1, 1867

United States Purchases Alaska from Russia

Land Event

Oct 18, 1867

U.S. Flag Raised for the first time, creating Alaska Day

Land Event

1877

Sheldon Jackson arrives in Alaska

Person Event

1877

Dr. Sheldon Jackson begin missionary work in Alaska stating that education and missionary work are the same thing.

Education Event

Period: 1877 to 1879

Alaska controlled by Department of Treasury

Major Event

1878

Sarah Dickinson becomes translator to Rev S. Hall Young and becomes advocate for the mission in Wrangell

People Event

1878

A new canning technique comes to Alaska but causes many canneries to be built on important Native fishing grounds

Land Event

Period: 1879 to 1884

Alaska controlled by U.S. Navy

Major Event

1880

Sarah Dickinson and her husband starts a school for the Chilkat Tlingit group in Haines

Education Event

1882

Tillie Kinnan Paul and her husband commissioned to open a school in Klukwan and became part of the first experiments to send Native teachers to remote villages

Education Event

1884

Jackson helps create the "First Organic Act" to establish a civil government in the frontier

People Event

Period: 1884 to 1912

Alaska is reorganized in the District of Alaska and remains occupied by U.S. Military

Major Event/ Land Event

1885

Jackson becomes the federal education agent in Alaska

Education Event

1888

Schools are now run by the Bureau of Education

Education Event

1890

Pail became mistress of Sitka Industrial Training School and along with her fellow teachers helped preserve Tlingit language and culture.

Education Event

1890

Frances Willard becomes the "first Alaskan with sufficient training and education" after leaving Alaska for her own education and returning to teach

Education Event

Period: 1890 to 1899

Sheldon Jackson forced to segregate schools and create parallel school systems

Education Event

1899

Gold Discovered in Alaska (Nome)

Land Event

1902

Alaska Railroad being construction

Land Event

1909

Native population severely declines due to disease and land loss reported as 25,331 persons

People Event

Aug 24, 1912

Alaska becomes a territory

Land Event

1914

Railroad finally connected, uniting Alaska

Land Event

1921

U.S. government closes the Orthodox Church on St. Paul Island signifying the 'dark ages' of Native culture and language which lasted until the 1970s.

Education Event

1924

Snyder Act grants U.S. citizenship to "all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States" without terminating their tribal rights.

People Event

1928

“The Problem of Indian Administration,” more commonly known as the “The Meriam Report,” details “the social and economic conditions of the American Indians” in 26 states, with a brief mention of the Alaska territory.

Education Event

1930

Paul becomes the first woman in the US to an elder of the Presbyterian Church

People Event

1934

Congress passes the Johnson O’Malley Act, authorizing programmatic federal funding for Native students; however, Alaska does not enter into its first contract under the law until 1952.

Education Event

1935

Congressional legislation passed laws authorizing the Tlingit and Haida to pursue land claims

People Event

Period: 1942 to 1943

Native Attuans and other Aleuts interned by U.S. Military, many die and few are able to return home after their towns were burned by U.S. military to prevent Russian invasion

People Event

Jun 3, 1942

Alaska Enters World War 2 by Japanese Occupation of Kiska and Attu

Land Event

1943

Attu regained by U.S. Military

Land Event

Jan 3, 1959

Alaska becomes a state

Land Event

Mar 27, 1964

Major Earthquake, causing tsunamis which affected a majority of Alaska

Land Event

1968

Discovery of Oil on North Slope

Land Event

1971

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) is passed giving Alaska Natives land and capital, as well as establishing the Native Corporations.

People Event

1976

Molly Hootch Case: Twenty-seven Alaska Native students file a suit against the state for not offering local high schools in Alaska Native Villages, which forced students to attend boarding schools.

Education Event

1977

Oil is discovered in Prudhoe Bay, leading to construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline

Land Event

1980

he Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) passes creating the huge public lands system in Alaska.

Land Event

Mar 24, 1989

Exxon Valdez oil spill, affecting 1,100 miles of shoreline

Land Event

1992

The State Board of Education passes regulation for local schools, requiring them to teach English, math, science, geography, history, government, citizenship, fine arts, technology, work languages, and skills for a healthy life.

Education Event

2019

University of Alaska-Anchorage which has the states largest teaching college loses it accreditation for teachers.

Education Event

2020

COVID 19 virus begin affected Alaskan education, highlighting the issues in communication and technology as schools moves to online systems

Education Event

People being crossing into Alaska via the Bering land bridge

The Mesa Site is th earliest evidence of human occupation in Alaska

Danish navigator Vitus Bering Spies Alaska

European "discovery" of Alaska

Russian fur trader Grigory Shelikhov founds Three Saints Bay

Grigory Shelikhov creates missions and has scholars work to translate the bible in Aleut

Aleksandr Baranoc established the Russian American Company

Father Ioann Veniaminov transferred to Sitka from the Russian Orthodox Church

Veniaminov appointed Bishop of Sitka and Alaska

Bishop Veniaminov published his works on the geology, botony, and anthropology of Alaska and parts of the Aleut language translated.

Veniaminov begin to translate the bible into Tlingit and creates a bilingual education system in Russian and Tlingit

Bishop Veniaminov opens New Archangel Seminary which taught six years of Aleut, Tlingit, and Yupik.

Alaska controlled by U.S. Army

Churches become the main source of education in Alaska

United States Purchases Alaska from Russia

U.S. Flag Raised for the first time, creating Alaska Day

Sheldon Jackson arrives in Alaska

Dr. Sheldon Jackson begin missionary work in Alaska stating that education and missionary work are the same thing.

Alaska controlled by Department of Treasury

Sarah Dickinson becomes translator to Rev S. Hall Young and becomes advocate for the mission in Wrangell

A new canning technique comes to Alaska but causes many canneries to be built on important Native fishing grounds

Alaska controlled by U.S. Navy

Sarah Dickinson and her husband starts a school for the Chilkat Tlingit group in Haines

Tillie Kinnan Paul and her husband commissioned to open a school in Klukwan and became part of the first experiments to send Native teachers to remote villages

Jackson helps create the "First Organic Act" to establish a civil government in the frontier

Alaska is reorganized in the District of Alaska and remains occupied by U.S. Military

Jackson becomes the federal education agent in Alaska

Schools are now run by the Bureau of Education

Pail became mistress of Sitka Industrial Training School and along with her fellow teachers helped preserve Tlingit language and culture.

Frances Willard becomes the "first Alaskan with sufficient training and education" after leaving Alaska for her own education and returning to teach

Sheldon Jackson forced to segregate schools and create parallel school systems

Gold Discovered in Alaska (Nome)

Alaska Railroad being construction

Native population severely declines due to disease and land loss reported as 25,331 persons

Alaska becomes a territory

Railroad finally connected, uniting Alaska

U.S. government closes the Orthodox Church on St. Paul Island signifying the 'dark ages' of Native culture and language which lasted until the 1970s.

Snyder Act grants U.S. citizenship to "all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States" without terminating their tribal rights.

“The Problem of Indian Administration,” more commonly known as the “The Meriam Report,” details “the social and economic conditions of the American Indians” in 26 states, with a brief mention of the Alaska territory.

Paul becomes the first woman in the US to an elder of the Presbyterian Church

Congress passes the Johnson O’Malley Act, authorizing programmatic federal funding for Native students; however, Alaska does not enter into its first contract under the law until 1952.

Congressional legislation passed laws authorizing the Tlingit and Haida to pursue land claims

Native Attuans and other Aleuts interned by U.S. Military, many die and few are able to return home after their towns were burned by U.S. military to prevent Russian invasion

Alaska Enters World War 2 by Japanese Occupation of Kiska and Attu

Attu regained by U.S. Military

Alaska becomes a state

Major Earthquake, causing tsunamis which affected a majority of Alaska

Discovery of Oil on North Slope

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) is passed giving Alaska Natives land and capital, as well as establishing the Native Corporations.

Molly Hootch Case: Twenty-seven Alaska Native students file a suit against the state for not offering local high schools in Alaska Native Villages, which forced students to attend boarding schools.

Oil is discovered in Prudhoe Bay, leading to construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline

he Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) passes creating the huge public lands system in Alaska.

Exxon Valdez oil spill, affecting 1,100 miles of shoreline

The State Board of Education passes regulation for local schools, requiring them to teach English, math, science, geography, history, government, citizenship, fine arts, technology, work languages, and skills for a healthy life.

University of Alaska-Anchorage which has the states largest teaching college loses it accreditation for teachers.

COVID 19 virus begin affected Alaskan education, highlighting the issues in communication and technology as schools moves to online systems

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