Alaska became an American territory on 11 May 1912. It had been bourght from Russia in 1867, but it was many years before all the formalities were completed that allowed it to be an official part of the US. A major reason why Alaska was wanted as US territory was the Gold Rush; gold in the late 19th and even early 20th century was a big part of the economy.

On 3 January 1959 Alaska became a US state. This made it the 49th state and the most recent except for Hawaii, which joined on 21 August of the same year.

The name Alaska comes from a word in the Aleut language spoken by the territory's original inhabitants. It probably means mainland. The official state capital is Juneau, although more people live in or around Anchorage than anywhere else.

You can learn more about the history and life of Alaska here.