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150 Years Ago Today, the US Bought Alaska From Russia For $7.2 Million (49 photos)

On March 30, 1867, the United States gave the government of Russia a check for $7.2 million and took possession of 586,412 square miles (1,518,800 sq km) of new land which became the Alaska Territory, and later, in 1959, would become America’s 49^th state. In the past 150 years, Alaska has seen several gold rushes, an oil boom, a groundbreaking distribution of lands to Native groups, a disastrous oil spill, a tremendous growth in tourism, and much more. As a former Alaskan tour guide, allow me re-live a past job I loved, and share with you some of this amazing history and phenomenal beauty on Alaska’s sesquicentennial—49 photos of the 49^th state.