Na m e : ___ _
Directions:Date:Read the paragraph. Then write a phrase describing the event next to
the year it occurred.Hey, read the paragraph first. Then go back and scan it with
your finger to spot the details you need to find. Good readers
use this trick all the time.1959 __
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1977 __
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1896 __
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1964 __
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1968 __
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Alaska is a dramatic state. It is a wild and rugged place. Several events in its history are
also dramatic. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7,200,000.
In 1896 gold was discovered in Alaska, and people from all over the world rushed there
hoping to strike it rich. In 1942, the Alaskan Highway was built. This 1,422-mile
highway was built by the U.S. military in just nine months. On January 3, 1959, the
territory of Alaska officially became the 49th state of the United States. Another great,
but tragic event occurred on March 27, 1964. A powerful earthquake that measured
between 8.2 and 8.4 on the Richter scale rocked the south-central part of the new state.
Riches were discovered again in Alaska in 1968 when a large oil deposit was found in
the Prudhoe Bay area. In 1977, a huge pipeline was completed to carry the oil 800 miles
south to the town of Valdez. There it was loaded onto tanker ships and transported
worldwide. By 1985, a whopping 4 billion barrels of oil had been pumped from the
Prudhoe Bay fields. Tragedy stuck Alaska again in 1989. A supertanker spilled 10 million
gallons of oil into the waters of Prince William Sound, creating the worst oil spill in U.S.
history.