18 October - Alaska Day in the US

 

In this place, Sitka, Alaska, on October 18, 1867, the great land of Alaska was transferred from Russia to the United States.

The Russian Double Eagle was lowered for the last time, and the Stars and Stripes made their first appearance over Alaskan soil in a ceremony formalizing the transfer of the territory of Alaska from Tsarist Russia to the United States of America at the incredible purchase price of approximately two cents per acre.

The first recorded celebration of Alaska Day, in 1949, was highlighted by the unveiling of the bronze statue of "The Prospector" on the lawn of the Pioneer's Home. Molded by sculptor Alonzo Victor Lewis is the image of William Fonda, better known as "Skagway Will", the two-ton statue is a tribute to Alaska's pioneers.

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