ALASKA DAY - OCTOBER 18

Seniors love reading about historical events. On October 18 America celebrates Alaska Day. Read more about it here and listen to its audio recording.

ALASKA DAY – OCTOBER 18.

Alaska Day is a celebration¹ of a historical moment - Alaska isn’t Russian anymore² it is American now.

In 1784, Russians start to settle³ in Alaska.They start businesses and build Eastern Orthodox churches on the coast.

The United States buy Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867.The price is $7.2 million ($125 million today).Eduard de Stoeckl, Russia’s Minister to the United States, and William H.Seward, the American Secretary of State, sign the deal.It is good for both countries.The Russians can provoke⁴ Britain, and they can have a better relationship⁵ with the United States.

The formal flag-raising happens in Fort Sitka on October 18, 1867.Russian soldiers lower⁶ the Russian flag and U.S.soldiers raise⁷ the American flag.

Alaska Day is celebrated in Sitka on October 18.Students go from school earlier, businesses are closed and a lot of other events⁸ take place.

Vocabulary: ¹výročí| ²už ne| ³usadit se| ⁴provokovat| ⁵vztah| ⁶spustit| ⁷vztyčit| ⁸akce(událost)
Language notes: Eastern Orthodox=pravoslavný|Russian Empire=ruská říše|Secretary of State=ministr zahraničí(USA)|sign the deal=podepsat dohodu|flag-rising=vztyčení vlajky|Fort Sitka=pevnost ve městě Sitka|take place=konat se
Sources: nytimes.com|en.wikipedia.org.