Interesting Facts about Alaska

The state of Rhode Island could fit into Alaska 425 times.

Self-emptying Lake George is the best known curiosity of its kind. A dam of ice forms each winter and the lake backs up behind it. The pressure of the water causes the dam to burst. The lake empties itself, and the process begins all over.

The last shot of the Civil War was fired in the remote region of the Bering Sea. The Confederate cruiser Shenandoah fired on a Union whaler on June 22, 1865, not knowing the war was over.

Juneau's gold made prospector Joe Juneau wealthy, but he felt that he had to spend all his money before he died. He squandered his fortune and soon got his wish, dying penniless in Dawson.

During Alaska's statehood celebration, Fairbanks attempted to turn the Chena River into gold, as a symbol of this source of wealth. However, through some chemical mistake, the river turned a lovely green.

A map maker, unfamiliar with the name of an Alaskan community, wrote "name?" on the map. His draftsman misread the notation and entered the word "Nome" at that location, literally putting Nome on the map.

By: Carpenter, Allan, Provorse, Carl, World Almanac of the U.S.A., 1996