Timeline of Anchorage, Alaska facts for kids

A timeline of Anchorage on display in the city of Anchorage

This page shares a timeline of important events in the history of Anchorage, a city in Alaska, United States. It shows how Anchorage grew from a small camp to a major city over the years.

The 1900s

History of Alaska
Prehistory
Russian America (1733–1867)
Department of Alaska (1867–1884)
District of Alaska (1884–1912)
Territory of Alaska (1912–1959)
State of Alaska (1959–present)
Other topics

• 1914 – Anchorage started as a camp for building the railroad.
• 1915
  • The Chamber of Commerce (a group helping local businesses) and the Anchorage Memorial Cemetery were created.
  • Work began on the Alaska Railroad in Anchorage.
• 1916
  • The Anchorage Hotel was built.
  • The population was 3,332 people.
• 1917 – The Anchorage Daily Times newspaper started printing.
• 1920
  • Anchorage officially became a town.
  • Leopold David became the first mayor.
  • The population was 1,856 people.
• 1922 – The Anchorage Public Library Association was formed to help create a library.
• 1924 – KFQD radio station began broadcasting.
• 1936
  • The City Hall building was constructed.
  • The Alaska State Fair started near Anchorage.
• 1939 – The Federal Building was built.
• 1940 – The U.S. military's Elmendorf Field started operating near Anchorage.
• 1941 – The U.S. Army's Fort Richardson was built near Anchorage.
• 1943 – Fort Richardson National Cemetery was created near Anchorage.
• 1946
  • The Alaska News newspaper began publication.
  • The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra was founded.
• 1947 – The Fourth Avenue Theatre opened.
• 1950
  • The Anchorage Philatelic Society (a group for stamp collectors) was founded.
  • The population of the wider Anchorage area was 35,651.
• 1951
  • The Anchorage Airport was built.
  • The Seward Highway (connecting Seward to Anchorage) was finished.
• 1953
  • KENI television station began broadcasting.
  • Anchorage High School opened.
• 1954 – Anchorage Community College was established.
• 1955
  • The Loussac Public Library opened.
  • The Cook Inlet Historical Society was founded.
  • The U.S. military's Kulis Air National Guard Base began operating.
• 1959 – Anchorage became part of the new U.S. state of Alaska.
• 1964
  • January 1: The Greater Anchorage Area Borough (a type of local government area) was created.
  • March 27: A very strong 9.2 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska. It caused a lot of shaking in Anchorage, making the control tower at the airport fall down. While tsunamis didn't hit the city, landslides and ground changes caused about $116 million in damages.
  • The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage became active.
• 1965 – The Anchorage Youth Symphony was organized.
• 1966 – The Alaska Federation of Natives set up its main office in Anchorage.
• 1967 – George M. Sullivan became mayor.
• 1968
  • The Anchorage Museum and Alaska Children's Zoo opened.
  • Kincaid Park was established.
• 1970
  • Chugach State Park was created.
  • The population was 48,081 people.
  • The Alyeska Pipeline Service Company (which manages the Trans-Alaska Pipeline) set up its main office in Anchorage.
• 1971 – The University of Alaska Anchorage was established.
• 1973 – Don Young became the U.S. representative for Alaska (meaning he represented Alaska in the U.S. Congress).
• 1975 – The Municipality of Anchorage was created, combining the city and the surrounding area. The Anchorage Assembly (a local government group) was also established. Sullivan continued as the municipal mayor.
• 1979 – The Food Bank of Alaska was established to help provide food to those in need.
• 1980 – The population was 174,431 people.
• 1982
  • Tony Knowles became mayor.
  • Anchorage formed a "sister city" relationship with Darwin, Australia, to promote cultural ties.
• 1983 – The ARCO Tower and Hunt Building were constructed.
• 1987
  • The 5th Avenue Mall opened for business.
  • Tom Fink became mayor.
• 1988
  • The Alaska Aviation Museum opened on Lake Hood.
  • The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts opened.
• 1990 – The population was 226,338 people.
• 1992
  • The Mount Spurr volcano erupted.
• 1993 – The Alaska Botanical Garden opened.
• 1994
  • The Anchorage Press newspaper began publication.
  • Rick Mystrom became mayor.
• 1995 – Binky (polar bear), a famous polar bear, died at the Alaska Zoo.
• 1996 – The city's official website went online around this time.
• 1997
  • The Alaska Native Medical Center was established.
  • The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium set up its main office in the city.
• 1998 – May: Alaska Natives held a public gathering to express their views.
• 1999 – The Alaska Native Heritage Center opened.
• 2000 – George Wuerch became mayor.

The 2000s

• 2003 – Mark Begich became mayor.
• 2007 – The Anchorage Historic Preservation Commission was established to help protect historical places.
• 2008
  • The Alaska Dispatch newspaper began publication.
  • The Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center and Linny Pacillo Parking Garage opened.
• 2009 – Matt Claman became mayor, and was later succeeded by Dan Sullivan.
• 2010
  • The Tikahtnu Commons cinema opened.
  • The population was 291,826 people.
• 2018 – A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the city, along with several smaller aftershocks, causing a lot of damage.