text:
History of Alaska
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Alaska history" redirects here. For the academic journal, see Alaska History (journal).
For a topical guide to this subject, see Historical outline of Alaska.
Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). The boundary of southeastern Alaska shown is that claimed by the United States prior to the conclusion of the Alaska boundary dispute.
The history of Alaska dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period (around 14,000 BC), when wanderer groups crossed the Bering land bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups. The name "Alaska" derives from the Aleut word Alaxsxaq (also spelled Alyeska), meaning "mainland" (literally, "the object toward which the action of the sea is directed").[1]
In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. Alaska was granted territorial status in 1912 by the United States of America.
In 1942, two of the outer Aleutian Islands—Attu and Kiska—were occupied by the Japanese and their recovery for the U.S. became a matter of national pride. The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities.
Alaska was granted U.S. statehood on January 3, 1959.
In 1964, the massive "Good Friday earthquake" killed 131 people and leveled several villages.
The 1968 discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay and the 1977 completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline led to an oil boom. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez hit a reef in Prince William Sound, spilling between 11 and 34 million US gallons (42,000 and 130,000 m³) of crude oil over 1,100 miles (1,600 km) of coastline. Today, the battle between philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Part of a series on the
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
v
t
e

Contents
[hide]
1 Prehistory of Alaska
2 18th century
2.1 Early Russian settlement
2.1.1 Missionary activity
2.2 Spanish claims
2.3 Britain's presence
3 19th century
3.1 Later Russian settlement and the Russian-American Company (1799–1867)
3.2 Alaska purchase
3.3 The Department of Alaska (1867–1884)
3.4 District of Alaska (1884–1912)
4 20th century
4.1 Alaska Territory (1912–1959)
4.1.1 World War II
4.2 Statehood
4.3 North to the Future
4.4 1968 – present: oil and land politics
4.4.1 Oil discovery, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act(ANCSA), and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
4.4.2 Environmentalism, the Exxon Valdez, and ANWR
5 Notable historical figures
6 See also
7 References and further reading
7.1 Environment
7.2 Videos
7.3 Russian era
7.4 Primary sources
7.5 Foreign language books
8 Notes
9 External links
Prehistory of Alaska[edit]
An Inupiaq woman, Nome, Alaska, c. 1907.
Main article: Prehistory of Alaska
Paleolithic families moved into northwestern North America sometime between 16,000 and 10,000 BC across the Bering land bridge in Alaska.[2] Alaska became populated by the Inuit and a variety of Native American groups. Today, early Alaskans are divided into several main groups: the Southeastern Coastal Indians (the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian), the Athabascans, the Aleut, and the two groups of Eskimos, the Inupiat and the Yup'ik.[3]
The coastal migrants from Asia were probably the first wave of humans to cross the Bering Land Bridge in western Alaska, and many of them initially settled in the interior of what is now Canada. The Tlingit were the most numerous of this group, claiming most of the coastal Panhandle by the time of European contact and are the northernmost of the group of advanced cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast renowned for its complex art and political systems and the ceremonial and legal system known as the potlatch. The southern portion of Prince of Wales Island was settled by the Haidas fleeing persecution by other Haidas from the Queen Charlotte Islands (now part of British Columbia). The Aleuts settled the islands of the Aleutian chain approximately 10,000 years ago.
Cultural and subsistence practices varied widely among native groups, who were spread across vast geographical distances.
18th century[edit]
Early Russian settlement[edit]
Alexandr Baranov, "Lord of Alaska."
Main article: Russian Alaska
On some islands and parts of the Alaskan peninsula, groups of traders had been capable of relatively peaceful coexistence with the local inhabitants. Other groups could not manage the tensions and perpetrated exactions. Hostages were taken, individuals were enslaved, families were split up, and other individuals were forced to leave their villages and settle elsewhere. In addition, eighty percent of the Aleut population was destroyed by Old World diseases, against which they had no immunity, during the first two generations of Russian contact.[4]
In 1784, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov arrived in Three Saints Bay on Kodiak Island, operating the Shelikhov-Golikov Company.[5] Shelikhov and his men killed hundreds of indigenous Koniag, then founded the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska on the island's Three Saints Bay. By 1788 a number of Russian settlements had been established by Shelikhov and others over a large region, including the mainland areas around Cook Inlet.
The Russians had gained control of the habitats of the most valuable sea otters, the Kurilian-Kamchatkan and Aleutian sea otters. Their fur was thicker, glossier, and blacker than those of sea otters on the Pacific Northwest Coast and California. The Russians, therefore, advanced to the Northwest Coast only after the superior varieties of sea otters were depleted, around 1788. The Russian entry to the Northwest Coast was slow, however, due to a shortage of ships and sailors. Yakutat Bay was reached in 1794 and the settlement of Slavorossiya was built there in 1795. Reconnaissance of the coast as far as the Queen Charlotte Islands was carried out by James Shields, a British employee of the Golikov-Shelikhov Company. In 1795 Alexandr Baranov, who had been hired in 1790 to manage Shelikhov's fur enterprise, sailed into Sitka Sound, claiming it for Russia. Hunting parties arrived in the following years and by 1800 three-quarters of Russian America's sea otter skins were coming from the Sitka Sound area. In July 1799 Baranov returned on the brig Oryol and established the settlement of Arkhangelsk. It was destroyed by Tlingits in 1802 but rebuilt nearby in 1804 and given the name Novo-Arkhangelsk (New Archangel). It soon become the primary settlement and colonial capital of Russian America. After the Alaska Purchase, it was renamed Sitka, the first capital of Alaska Territory.[6]
Missionary activity[edit]
St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka. The original structure, built in 1848, burned in a fire on January 2, 1966. The cathedral was rebuilt from plans of the original structure and contains artifacts rescued from the fire.
The Russian Orthodox religion (with its rituals and sacred texts, translated into Aleut at a very early stage) had been informally introduced, in the 1740s–1780s, by the fur traders. During his settlement of Three Saints Bay in 1784, Shelikov introduced the first resident missionaries and clergymen. This missionary activity would continue into the 19th century, ultimately becoming the most visible trace of the Russian colonial period in contemporary Alaska.
Spanish claims[edit]
Main article: Spanish expeditions to Alaska
Spanish contact in British Columbia and Alaska.
Spanish claims to Alaska dated to the papal bull of 1493, but never involved colonization, forts, or settlements. Instead there were various naval expeditions to explore the region and claim it for Spain. In 1775, Bruno de Hezeta led an expedition; The Sonora, under Bodega y Quadra, ultimately reached latitude 58° north, entered Sitka Sound and formally claimed the region for Spain. The 1779 expedition of Ignacio de Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra reached Port Etches on Hinchinbrook Island, and entered Prince William Sound. They reached a latitude of 61° north, the most northern point obtained by Spain.
In 1788, Esteban José Martínez and Gonzalo López de Haro visited Russian settlements at Unalaska.[7]
The Nootka Crisis of 1789 almost led to a war between Britain and Spain, when Britain rejected Spanish claims to lands in British Columbia and Spain seized some British ships. The crisis was resolved by the Nootka Convention, which provided that the northwest coast would be open to traders of both Britain and Spain, that the captured British ships would be returned and an indemnity paid. It was a victory for Britain and Spain effectively withdrew from the North Pacific.[8] It transferred its claims in the region to the United States in the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819. Today, Spain's Alaskan legacy endures as little more than a few place names, among these the Malaspina Glacier and the towns of Valdez and Cordova.
Britain's presence[edit]
British settlements at the time in Alaska consisted of a few scattered trading outposts, with most settlers arriving by sea. Captain James Cook, midway through his third and final voyage of exploration in 1778, sailed along the west coast of North America aboard HMS Resolution, from then-Spanish California all the way to the Bering Strait. During the trip, he discovered what came to be known as Cook Inlet (named in honor of Cook in 1794 by George Vancouver, who had served under his command) in Alaska. The Bering Strait proved to be impassable, although the Resolution and its companion ship HMS Discovery made several attempts to sail through it. The ships left the straits to return to Hawaii in 1779.
Cook's expedition spurred the British to increase their sailings along the northwest coast, following in the wake of the Spanish. Alaska-based posts owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, operated at Fort Yukon, on the Yukon River, Fort Durham (aka Fort Taku) at the mouth of the Taku River, and Fort Stikine, near the mouth of the Stikine River (associated with Wrangell throughout the early 19th century).
19th century[edit]
Later Russian settlement and the Russian-American Company (1799–1867)[edit]
1860 map of Russian America.
Main article: Russian Alaska
In 1799, Shelikhov's son-in-law, Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov, acquired a monopoly on the American fur trade from Czar Paul I and formed the Russian-American Company. As part of the deal, the Tsar expected the company to establish new settlements in Alaska and carry out an expanded colonization program.
By 1804, Alexandr Baranov, now manager of the Russian–American Company, had consolidated the company's hold on the American fur trade following his victory over the local Tlingit clan at the Battle of Sitka. Despite these efforts the Russians never fully colonized Alaska. The Russian monopoly on trade was also being weakened by the Hudson's Bay Company, which set up a post on the southern edge of Russian America in 1833.
In 1818 management of the Russian-American Company was turned over to the Imperial Russian Navy and the Ukase of 1821 banned foreigners from participating in the Alaskan economy. It soon entered into the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1825 which allowed British merchants to trade in Alaska. The Convention also settled most of the border between Alaska and British North America.
The Russo-American Treaty of 1824, which banned American merchants above 54° 40' north latitude, was widely ignored and the Russians' hold on Alaska weakened further.
At the height of Russian America, the Russian population reached 700.
Although the mid–19th century were not a good time for Russians in Alaska, conditions improved for the coastal Alaska Natives who had survived contact. The Tlingits were never conquered and continued to wage war on the Russians into the 1850s. The Aleuts, though faced with a decreasing population in the 1840s, ultimately rebounded.
Alaska purchase[edit]
Check used to pay for Alaska.
Main article: Alaska Purchase
Financial difficulties in Russia, the desire to keep Alaska out of British hands, and the low profits of trade with Alaskan settlements all contributed to Russia's willingness to sell its possessions in North America. At the instigation of U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, the United States Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000. on August 1, 1867, This purchase was popularly known in the U.S. as "Seward's Folly,", "Seward's Icebox," or "Andrew Johnson's Polar Bear Garden", and was unpopular for some people at the time. Later discovery of gold and oil would show it to be a worthwhile one. Scholars debate whether the purchase of Alaska was a financially profitable for the federal Treasury itself, apart from its benefits to Alaskans and to businesses, and to national defense.[9]
After Russian America was sold to the U.S., all the holdings of the Russian–American Company were liquidated.
The Department of Alaska (1867–1884)[edit]
Main article: Department of Alaska
The United States flag was raised on October 18, 1867, now called Alaska Day, and the region changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, for residents, Friday, October 6, 1867 was followed by Friday, October 18, 1867—two Fridays in a row because of the 12 day shift in the calendar minus one day for the date-line shift.[10]
During the Department era, from 1867 to 1884, Alaska was variously under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army (until 1877), the United States Department of the Treasury from 1877 to 1879, and the U.S. Navy from 1879 to 1884.
When Alaska was first purchased, most of its land remained unexplored. In 1865, Western Union laid a telegraph line across Alaska to the Bering Strait where it would connect, under water, with an Asian line. It also conducted the first scientific studies of the region and produced the first map of the entire Yukon River. The Alaska Commercial Company and the military also contributed to the growing exploration of Alaska in the last decades of the 19th century, building trading posts along the Interior's many rivers.
District of Alaska (1884–1912)[edit]
Main article: District of Alaska
Miners and prospectors climb the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush.
In 1884, the region was organized and the name was changed from the Department of Alaska to the District of Alaska. At the time, legislators in Washington, D.C., were occupied with post-Civil War reconstruction issues, and had little time to dedicate to Alaska. In 1896, the discovery of gold in Yukon Territory in neighboring Canada, brought many thousands of miners and new settlers to Alaska, and very quickly ended the nation's four year economic depression. Although it was uncertain whether gold would also be found in Alaska, Alaska greatly profited because it was along the easiest transportation route to the Yukon goldfields. Numerous new cities, such as Skagway, Alaska, owe their existence to a gold rush in Canada. No history of Alaska would be complete without mention of Soapy Smith, the crime boss confidence man who operated the largest criminal empire in gold rush era Alaska, until he was shot down by vigilantes in the famed Shootout on Juneau Wharf. Today, he is known as "Alaska's Outlaw."
In 1899, gold was found in Alaska itself in Nome, and several towns subsequently began to be built, such as Fairbanks and Ruby. In 1902, the Alaska Railroad began to be built, which would connect from Seward to Fairbanks by 1914, though Alaska still does not have a railroad connecting it to the lower 48 states today. Still, an overland route was built, cutting transportation times to the contiguous states by days. The industries of copper mining, fishing, and canning began to become popular in the early 20th century, with 10 canneries in some major towns.
In 1903, a boundary dispute with Canada was finally resolved.
By the turn of the 20th century, commercial fishing was gaining a foothold in the Aleutian Islands. Packing houses salted cod and herring, and salmon canneries were opened. Another commercial occupation, whaling, continued with no regard for over-hunting. They pushed the bowhead whales to the edge of extinction for the oil in their tissue. The Aleuts soon suffered severe problems due to the depletion of fur seals and sea otters which they needed for survival. As well as requiring the flesh for food, they also used the skins to cover their boats, without which they could not hunt. The Americans also expanded into the Interior and Arctic Alaska, exploiting the furbearers, fish, and other game on which Natives depended.
20th century[edit]
Alaska Territory (1912–1959)[edit]
Main article: Alaska Territory
When Congress passed the Second Organic Act in 1912, Alaska was reorganized, and renamed the Territory of Alaska.[11] By 1916, its population was about 58,000. James Wickersham, a Delegate to Congress, introduced Alaska's first statehood bill, but it failed due to the small population and lack of interest from Alaskans. Even President Warren G. Harding's visit in 1923 could not create widespread interest in statehood. Under the conditions of the Second Organic Act, Alaska had been split into four divisions. The most populous of the divisions, whose capital was Juneau, wondered if it could become a separate state from the other three. Government control was a primary concern, with the territory having 52 federal agencies governing it.
Then, in 1920, the Jones Act required U.S.-flagged vessels to be built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and documented under the laws of the United States. All goods entering or leaving Alaska had to be transported by American carriers and shipped to Seattle prior to further shipment, making Alaska dependent on Washington. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the provision of the Constitution saying one state should not hold sway over another's commerce did not apply because Alaska was only a territory. The prices Seattle shipping businesses charged began to rise to take advantage of the situation. This situation created an atmosphere of enmity among Alaskans who watched the wealth being generated by their labors flowing into the hands of Seattle business holdings.
In July 1923 Warren Harding became the first sitting President to visit Alaska as part of his Pacific Northwest 'Voyage of Understanding." Harding arrived by boat from Seattle and made nine stops in the Territory via train which went from Seward to Fairbanks. On July 15 Harding drove in a golden railroad spike at Nenana. The train car in which he rode now sits in Fairbanks' Pioneer Park.[12]
The Depression caused prices of fish and copper, which were vital to Alaska's economy at the time, to decline. Wages were dropped and the workforce decreased by more than half. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt thought Americans from agricultural areas could be transferred to Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Valley for a fresh chance at agricultural self-sustainment. Colonists were largely from northern states, such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota under the belief that only those who grew up with climates similar to that of Alaska's could handle settler life there. The United Congo Improvement Association asked the president to settle 400 African-American farmers in Alaska, saying that the territory would offer full political rights, but racial prejudice and the belief that only those from northern states would make suitable colonists caused the proposal to fail.
The exploration and settlement of Alaska would not have been possible without the development of the aircraft, which allowed for the influx of settlers into the state's interior, and rapid transportation of people and supplies throughout. However, due to the unfavorable weather conditions of the state, and high ratio of pilots-to-population, over 1700 aircraft wreck sites are scattered throughout its domain. Numerous wrecks also trace their origins to the military build-up of the state during both World War II and the Cold War.
See also History of aviation in Alaska
World War II[edit]
Main article: Battle of the Aleutian Islands
Propaganda poster, World War II, depicting Alaska as a death trap for Japan.
Buildings burning after the first Japanese attack on Dutch Harbor, June 3, 1942.
During World War II, two of the outer Aleutian Islands—Attu and Kiska—were invaded and occupied by Japanese troops. They were the only part of the continental territory of the United States to be occupied by the enemy during the war. Their recovery became a matter of national pride.
On June 3, 1942, the Japanese launched an air attack on Dutch Harbor, a U.S. naval base on Unalaska Island, but were repelled by U.S. forces.[13] A few days later, the Japanese landed on the islands of Kiska and Attu, where they overwhelmed Attu villagers. The villagers were taken to Japan, where they were interned for the remainder of the war. Aleuts from the Pribilofs and Aleutian villages were evacuated by the United States to Southeast Alaska. Many suffered during their two years internment there, and the federal government, charged with their care, provided inadequate health care, food, and shelter.[14]
Attu was regained in May 1943 after two weeks of intense fighting and 3,929 American casualties:[15] 549 killed, 1148 injured and 1200 severe cold injuries, 614 to disease and 318 dead of miscellaneous causes,[16] The U.S. then turned its attention to the other occupied island, Kiska. From June through August, tons of bombs were dropped on the tiny island, though the Japanese ultimately escaped via transport ships. After the war, the Native Attuans who had survived their internment were resettled to Atka by the federal government, which considered their home villages too remote to defend.
In 1942, the Alaska–Canada Military Highway was completed, in part to form an overland supply route to the Soviet Union on the other side of the Bering Strait.[17] Running from Great Falls, Montana, to Fairbanks, the road was the first stable link between Alaska and the rest of America. The construction of military bases, such as the Adak base, contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities. Anchorage almost doubled in size, from 4,200 people in 1940 to 8,000 in 1945.
Statehood[edit]
By the turn of the 20th century, a movement pushing for Alaska statehood began, but in the contiguous 48 states, legislators were worried that Alaska's population was too sparse, distant, and isolated, and its economy was too unstable for it to be a worthwhile addition to the United States.[18] World War II and the Japanese invasion highlighted Alaska's strategic importance, and the issue of statehood was taken more seriously, but it was the discovery of oil at Swanson River on the Kenai Peninsula that dispelled the image of Alaska as a weak, dependent region. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act into United States law on July 4, 1958,[19] which paved the way for Alaska's admission into the Union on January 3, 1959. Juneau, the territorial capital, continued as state capital, and William A. Egan was sworn in as the first governor.
Alaska does not have counties unlike every other American state except Louisiana. (Louisiana has parishes). Instead, it is divided into 16 boroughs and one "unorganized borough" made up of all land not within any borough. Boroughs have organized area-wide governments, but within the unorganized borough, where there is no such government, services are provided by the state. The unorganized borough is divided into artificially-created census areas by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.[neutrality is disputed]
Earthquake damage in Anchorage
On March 27, 1964 the Good Friday earthquake struck South-central Alaska, churning the earth for four minutes with a magnitude of 9.2. The earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded and killed 139 people.[20] Most of them were drowned by the tsunamis that tore apart the towns of Valdez and Chenega. Throughout the Prince William Sound region, towns and ports were destroyed and land was uplifted or shoved downward. The uplift destroyed salmon streams, as the fish could no longer jump the various newly created barriers to reach their spawning grounds. Ports at Valdez and Cordova were beyond repair, and the fires destroyed what the mudslides had not. At Valdez, an Alaska Steamship Company ship was lifted by a huge wave over the docks and out to sea, but most hands survived. At Turnagain Arm, off Cook Inlet, the incoming water destroyed trees and caused cabins to sink into the mud. On Kodiak, a tsunami wiped out the villages of Afognak, Old Harbor, and Kaguyak and damaged other communities, while Seward lost its harbor. Despite the extent of the catastrophe, Alaskans rebuilt many of the communities.
North to the Future[edit]
"North to the Future" is the official state motto of Alaska, adopted in 1967 for the centennial of the Alaska Purchase. As one of the events leading up to the celebration, the Alaska Centennial Commission sponsored a contest in 1963 to come up with a centennial motto and emblem that would express the unique character of the State of Alaska. They offered a $300.00 (which is about $2000 in 2010 dollars[21]) prize to the winning entry. 761 entries were received by the Commission. In December 1963, the commission announced that they had selected Juneau journalist Richard Peter's suggestion. He stated that the motto "...is a reminder that beyond the horizon of urban clutter there is a Great Land beneath our flag that can provide a new tomorrow for this century's 'huddled masses yearning to be free'." The motto represents a visionary optimism for a state filled with promise; promoting the State of Alaska by advising that the future lies with the next-to-the-last United States star located to the north of the Lower 48.
1968 – present: oil and land politics[edit]
Oil discovery, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act(ANCSA), and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline[edit]
The 1968 discovery of oil on the North Slope's Prudhoe Bay—which would turn out to have the most recoverable oil of any field in the United States—would change Alaska's political landscape for decades.
This discovery catapulted the issue of Native land ownership into the headlines.[22] In the mid-1960s, Alaska Natives from many tribal groups had united in an effort to gain title to lands wrested from them by Europeans, but the government had responded slowly before the Prudhoe Bay discovery. The government finally took action when permitting for a pipeline crossing the state, necessary to get Alaskan oil to market, was stalled pending the settlement of Native land claims.
In 1971, with major petroleum dollars on the line, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law by Richard Nixon. Under the Act, Natives relinquished aboriginal claims to their lands in exchange for access to 44 million acres (180,000 km²) of land and payment of $963 million.[23] The settlement was divided among regional, urban, and village corporations, which managed their funds with varying degrees of success.
Map of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
Though a pipeline from the North Slope to the nearest ice-free port, almost 800 miles (1,300 km) to the south, was the only way to get Alaska's oil to market, significant engineering challenges lay ahead. Between the North Slope and Valdez, there were active fault lines, three mountain ranges, miles of unstable, boggy ground underlain with frost, and migration paths of caribou and moose. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was ultimately completed in 1977 at a total cost of $8 billion.
The pipeline allowed an oil bonanza to take shape. Per capita incomes rose throughout the state, with virtually every community benefiting. State leaders were determined that this boom would not end like the fur and gold booms, in an economic bust as soon as the resource had disappeared. In 1976, the state's constitution was amended to establish the Alaska Permanent Fund, in which a quarter of all mineral lease proceeds is invested. Income from the fund is used to pay annual dividends to all residents who qualify, to increase the fund's principal as a hedge against inflation, and to provide funds for the state legislature.[citation needed] Since 1993, the fund has produced more money than the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, whose production is diminishing. In March 2005[update], the fund's value was over $30 billion.
Environmentalism, the Exxon Valdez, and ANWR[edit]
Oil production was not the only economic value of Alaska's land, however. In the second half of the 20th century, Alaska discovered tourism as an important source of revenue. Tourism became popular after World War II, when men stationed in the region returned home praising its natural splendor. The Alcan Highway, built during the war, and the Alaska Marine Highway System, completed in 1963, made the state more accessible than before. Tourism became increasingly important in Alaska, and today over 1.4 million people visit the state each year.
With tourism more vital to the economy, environmentalism also rose in importance. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 added 53.7 million acres (217,000 km²) to the National Wildlife Refuge system, parts of 25 rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, 3.3 million acres (13,000 km²) to National Forest lands, and 43.6 million acres (176,000 km²) to National Park land. Because of the Act, Alaska now contains two-thirds of all American national parklands. Today, more than half of Alaskan land is owned by the Federal Government.
Oil pooled on rocks on the shore of Prince William Sound after the oil spill.
The possible environmental repercussions of oil production became clear in the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. On March 24, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, releasing 11 million gallons of crude oil into the water, spreading along 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of shoreline.[24] According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at least 300,000 sea birds, 2,000 otters, and other marine animals died because of the spill. Exxon spent US$2 billion on cleaning up in the first year alone. Exxon, working with state and federal agencies, continued its cleanup into the early 1990s. Government studies show that the oil and the cleaning process itself did long-term harm to the ecology of the Sound, interfering with the reproduction of birds and animals in ways that still aren't fully understood. Prince William Sound seems to have recuperated, but scientists still dispute the extent of the recovery. In a civil settlement, Exxon agreed to pay $900 million in ten annual payments, plus an additional $100 million for newly discovered damages. In a class action suit against Exxon, a jury awarded punitive damages of US$5 billion, but as of 2008 no money has been disbursed and appellate litigation continues.
Today, the tension between preservation and development is seen in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) drilling controversy. The question of whether to allow drilling for oil in ANWR has been a political football for every sitting American president since Jimmy Carter. Studies performed by the US Geological Survey have shown that the "1002 area" of ANWR, located just east of Prudhoe Bay, contains large deposits of crude oil.[25][26] Traditionally, Alaskan residents, trade unions, and business interests have supported drilling in the refuge, while environmental groups and many within the Democratic Party have traditionally opposed it. Among native Alaskan tribes, support is mixed. In the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, votes about the status of the refuge occurred repeatedly in the U.S. House and Senate, but as of 2007 efforts to allow drilling have always been ultimately thwarted by filibusters, amendments, or vetoes.
Notable historical figures[edit]
Clarence L. Andrews (1862–1948), civil servant in Alaska during the early 20th century, also a journalist, author, photographer and historian with a focus on Russian America.[27]
Alexandr Baranov (1746–1819), Russian trader and governor of Alaska.
Edward Lewis "Bob" Bartlett (1904–1968), grew up in Fairbanks, was territorial delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives 1945–1959, and United States Senator from 1959 until his death. There are a substantial number of places throughout the state named for him.
Benny Benson (1913–1972), Alaska Native from Chignik. Designed Alaska's flag at age 13 as a resident of the Jesse Lee Home.
Vitus Bering (1681–1741), Danish explorer for the Russians, the first European to reach Alaska.
Charles E. Bunnell (1878–1956), territorial federal judge, first president of the University of Alaska.
John B. "Jack" Coghill (born 1925), merchant from Nenana. Held territorial or state elected offices spanning a period of over 40 years, including Lieutenant Governor 1990–1994. One of three surviving delegates to Alaska's constitutional convention 1955–1956.
Jimmy Doolittle (1896–1993), James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle grew up in Nome, was a distinguished general in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, including earning the Medal of Honor.
Wyatt Earp (1848–1929), lived in Alaska from 1897 to 1901, built the Dexter Saloon in Nome.
William A. Egan (1914–1984), native of Valdez. Merchant, mayor and legislator. President of Alaska's constitutional convention 1955–1956, "Alaska-Tennessee Plan" (shadow) United States Senator 1956–1958, and following proclamation of statehood, the first and fourth governor of Alaska 1959–1966 and 1970–1974.
Carl Ben Eielson (1897–1929), pioneering aviator.
Vic Fischer (born 1924), another surviving delegate to Alaska's constitutional convention (the third is Seaborn J. Buckalew, Jr., born 1920). Retired professor and researcher at the University of Alaska Anchorage, state senator 1981–1987.
Ernest Henry Gruening (1887–1974), veteran journalist on the east coast of the United States and bureaucrat in the FDR administration, was appointed Governor of the Territory of Alaska in 1939, and served until 1953. He was one of the new state of Alaska's first two United States Senators, serving until 1969. Chiefly known as a Senator for one of two votes again the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Jay Hammond (1922–2005), resided for the better part of 50 years in rural southwest Alaska. Mayor and legislator. Fifth Governor of Alaska 1974–1982, during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the rapid changes in state government which followed, including the Permanent Fund and its dividend program. Also known for his conservationist views and a unique way with words.
B. Frank Heintzleman (1888–1965), official with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska, appointed territorial governor and served during the height of activity on obtaining statehood for Alaska.
Saint Herman of Alaska (1756–1837), Russian missionary, first Eastern Orthodox saint in North America.
Walter Hickel (1919–2010), real estate developer/industrialist. Governor 1966–1969, resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Nixon, elected to another term as governor 1990, served until 1994.
Sheldon Jackson (1834–1909), an American missionary of the Presbyterian Church and educator, also instrumental in introducing reindeer to Alaska from Siberia. The educational institute he established in Sitka for Native youths became the Sheldon Jackson Museum and College (the latter now closed).
Joseph Juneau (1836–1899), and Richard Harris (1833–1907), prospectors and founders of what is now Alaska's capital city, Juneau.
Austin Eugene "Cap" Lathrop (1865–1950), industrialist, founder of some of Alaska's oldest radio stations and builder of currently recognized historic architecture. Produced The Chechahcos, the first movie produced in Alaska. Lathrop's feud with Gruening over statehood issues spawned the novel and film Ice Palace.
Loren Leman (born 1950), Lieutenant Governor 2002–2006, the first Alaska Native elected to statewide office.
Ray Mala (1906–1952), the first Native American and first Alaskan to become a film star. He starred in MGM's Eskimo/Mala the Magnificent, which was filmed entirely on location in Alaska. His son, Dr. Ted Mala, became an influential Alaska Native physician, and was also Commissioner of Health and Social Services during Hickel's second governorship.
Eva McGown (1883–1972), Fairbanks hostess and chorister. Also the basis for a character in Ice Palace.
John Muir (1838–1914), naturalist, explorer, and conservationist who detailed his journeys throughout Alaska. Was instrumental, along with Gifford Pinchot, in establishing the first wilderness and forest preserves in Alaska during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.
William Oefelein (born 1965), Alaska's first astronaut. His first mission, STS-116. Commander Oefelein, who attended West Anchorage High School, received his commission from Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1988.
Sarah Palin (born 1964), Alaska's youngest Governor, first female Governor and Republican Vice Presidential nominee in 2008.
Elizabeth Peratrovich (1911–1958), an Alaska Native of Tlingit heritage who fought for passage of non-discrimination laws for Natives and is honored with "Elizabeth Peratrovich Day."
Tex Rickard (1870–1929), like Wyatt Earp, also a major figure in the Nome Gold Rush c. 1900–1901, and better known for exploits elsewhere.
George Sharrock (1910–2005), moved to the territory before statehood, eventually elected as the mayor of Anchorage and served during the Good Friday earthquake in March 1964. This was the most devastating earthquake to hit Alaska and it sunk beach property, damaged roads and destroyed buildings all over the south central area. Sharrock, sometimes called the "earthquake mayor," led the city's rebuilding effort over six months.
Soapy Smith (1860–1898), Jefferson Randolph Smith, "Alaska's Outlaw." The infamous confidence man and early settler, who ran the goldrush town of Skagway, Alaska, 1897–98.
Ted Stevens (1923–2010), United States Senator from Alaska 1968–2009, the longest service of any Republican member. Was originally appointed by Hickel following Bartlett's death, and re-elected seven times before losing re-election in 2008 as he faced a corruption trial. Widely known as a Senator as an often loud and angry advocate for Alaska. Died in a plane crash near Dillingham.
Fran Ulmer (born 1947), Lieutenant Governor 1994–2002, the first woman elected to statewide office in Alaska, later became chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Saint Innocent of Alaska (1797–1879), First Russian Orthodox bishop in North America.
Joe Vogler (1913–1993), advocate of secession for Alaska, founder of the Alaskan Independence Party, multiple time unsuccessful candidate for governor.
Noel Wien (1899–1977), pioneering aviator, founder of Wien Air Alaska, first to make a round trip between Alaska and Asia.
Ferdinand von Wrangell (1797–1870), explorer, president of the Russian-American Company in 1840–1849.
See also[edit]
History portal
North America portal
United States portal
Alaska portal
Main article: Historical outline of Alaska
History of Fairbanks, Alaska
History of the west coast of North America
Legal status of Alaska
List of Russian explorers
National Register of Historic Places listings in Alaska
Western United States
References and further reading[edit]
Andrews, C.L. (1944). The Story of Alaska. The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho.
Arnold, David F. The Fisherman's Frontier: People and Salmon in Southeast Alaska," by (2008)
Borneman, Walter R. (2003). Alaska: A Narrative History. Harper-Collins, New York, NY. ISBN 0-06-050306-8.
Busenberg, George J. Oil and Wilderness in Alaska: Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and National Policy Dynamics (Georgetown University Press; 2013) 168 pages; studies competing environmental and developmental interests in the state regarding the Trans-Alaska pipeline, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and reforms after the Exxon Valdez disaster.
Campbell, Robert. In Darkest Alaska: Travel and Empire along the Inside Passage (2008)
Chandonnet, Fern. Alaska at War, 1941–1945: The Forgotten War Remembered (2007)
Gruening, Ernest (1967). The Battle for Alaska Statehood. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks. ISBN 0-912006-12-9.
Gruening, Ernest (1954). The State of Alaska. Random House, New York. ASIN B0006ATTII.
Haycox, Stephen (2002). Alaska: An American Colony. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. ISBN 0-295-98249-7.
McBeath, Jerry et al. The Political Economy of Oil in Alaska: Multinationals vs. the State (2008)
Naske, Claus-M; Herman E. Slotnick (2003). Alaska: A History of the 49th State. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. ISBN 0-8061-2099-1.
Spude, Catherine Holder. Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory (University of Oklahoma Press, 2015) xviii, 326 pp.
Wharton, David (1991). They Don't Speak Russian in Sitka: A New Look at the History of Southern Alaska. Markgraf Publications Group, Menlo Park, CA. ISBN 0-944109-08-X.
Environment[edit]
Catton, Theodore. Inhabited Wilderness: Indians, Eskimos, and National Parks in Alaska (1997)
Coate, Peter. Trans-Alaska Pipeline Controversy: Technology, Conservation, and the Frontier (1991)
Fortuine, Robert. Chills and Fever: Health and Disease in the Early History of Alaska (1989)
Kaye, Roger. Last Great Wilderness: The Campaign to Establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2007)
Morse, Kathryn. The Nature of Gold: An Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush (2003)
Ross, Ken. Pioneering Conservation in Alaska (2006)
Videos[edit]
(2004). Alaska: Big America (TV documentary). The History Channel: AAE-44069.
Russian era[edit]
Afonsky, Bishop Gregory (1977). A History of the Orthodox Church in Alaska, 1794–1917. St. Herman's Theological Seminary, Kodiak, AK. ASIN B0006CUQ42.
Black, Lydia T. (2004). Russians in Alaska 1732–1867. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks. ISBN 1-889963-05-4.
Fedorova, Svetlana G., trans. & ed. by Richard A. Pierce and Alton S. Donnelly (1973). The Russian Population in Alaska and California: Late 18th Century – 1867. Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. ISBN 0-919642-53-5. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
Grinëv, Andrei. V., and Richard L. Bland. "A Brief Survey of the Russian Historiography of Russian America of Recent Years," Pacific Historical Review, May 2010, Vol. 79 Issue 2, pp 265–278
Nordlander, David J. (1994). For God & Tsar: A Brief History of Russian America 1741 – 1867. Alaska Natural History Association, Anchorage, AL. ISBN 0-930931-15-7.
Primary sources[edit]
Gruening, Ernest (1966). An Alaska Reader, 1867-1967. New Amsterdam Books, New York. OCLC 480059.
Williams, Maria Shaa Tláa, eds. The Alaska Native Reader: History, Culture, Politics (Durham: Duke University Press, 2009. xxii, 387 pp.) ISBN 978-0-8223-4480-3
Foreign language books[edit]
Kobtzeff, Oleg (1985). La Colonisation russe en Amérique du Nord: 18 – 19 ème siècles (Russian Colonization in North-America, 18th–19th Centuries). Department of Slavic History, University of Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Paris, France.
Bolkhovitinov, Nikolai N.; et al. (1997–1999). Istoria Russkoi Ameriki (History of Russian America). Mezhdunarodnye Otnosheniia, Moscow. ISBN 5-7133-0883-9. ISBN 5-7133-0976-2, ISBN 5-7133-0987-8.
Notes[edit]
'Jump up ^ Ransom, J. Ellis. 1940. Derivation of the Word 'Alaska. American Anthropologist n.s., 42: pp. 550–551
Jump up ^ See Models of migration to the New World.
Jump up ^ "Archaeological Overview of Alaska". The National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
Jump up ^ The Aleut Corporation Aleut History
Jump up ^ "Alaska History Timeline". Retrieved August 31, 2005.
Jump up ^ Gibson, James R. (1992). Otter Skins, Boston Ships, and China Goods: The Maritime Fur Trade of the Northwest Coast, 1785–1841. McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 13–14. ISBN 0-7735-2028-7.
Jump up ^ McDowell, Jim (1998). José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer. Spokane, Washington: The Arthur H. Clark Company. pp. 24–31. ISBN 0-87062-265-X.
Jump up ^ "Nootka Sound Controversy" in The Canadian Encyclopedia Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ See unpublished paper
Jump up ^ Dershowitz, Nachum; Reingold, Edward M. (2008). Calendrical Calculations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 47. ISBN 9780521885409.
Jump up ^ Gislason, Eric. "The 49th State: A Brief History of Alaska Statehood (1867–1959)". American Studies at the University of Virginia. Retrieved 2005-08-31.
Jump up ^ Eilperin, Juliet. The fascinating (and scenic) history of presidential visits to Alaska. Washington Post, August 25, 2015.[1] Retrieved June 14, 2017.
Jump up ^ "Aleutian Islands Campaign 1942–1943". Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Archived from the original on 2007-09-03. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
Jump up ^ U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. "Evacuation and Internment". Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Alaska. NPS. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
Jump up ^ "Aleutian Islands War: June 3, 1942 – August 24, 1943". explorenorth.com. Retrieved 2005-09-01.
Jump up ^ "Pride and Patriotism: Stamford's Role in World War II". The Stamford Historical Society. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
Jump up ^ "Alaska Highway Construction 1942". Retrieved 2011-02-07.
Jump up ^ Littke, Peter. (2003). Russian-American Bibliography (ISBN 9783833007057)
Jump up ^ Mooney, Richard E. (1959-01-04). "New Flag Unveiled; 7 Staggered Rows Have 7 Stars Each". New York Times. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
Jump up ^ "The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964". Alaska Earthquake Information Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks. November 2002. Archived from the original on 2005-04-04. Retrieved 2005-09-01.
Jump up ^ http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl
Jump up ^ Coile, Zachery (August 9, 2005). "ARCTIC OIL: Oil is the lifeblood of Alaska, with residents ready to drill". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2005-09-12.
Jump up ^ "Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2005-09-01.
Jump up ^ "Exxon Valdez, Oil Program, US EPA". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. March 9, 2006. Archived from the original on 2005-09-19. Retrieved 2005-09-01.
Jump up ^ Elizabeth Sands & Stephanie Pahler.Geology. Columbia University. Retrieved on 2007-04-08 Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ Kenneth J. Bird and David W. Houseknecht. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1002 Area, Petroleum Assessment, 1998, Including Economic Analysis. U.S. Geological Survey (August 24, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-04-08
Jump up ^ "Clarence L. Andrews Collection". UO Libraries. Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon. 2004. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
External links[edit]
Alaska Humanities Forum
Alaska History & Cultural Studies Curriculum
Historical Resources From Alaska's Libraries
Alaska Digital Archives – Collection of thousands of historical photographs, texts, audio and video recordings. Specialized browseable collections on Alaska Natives and Alaska Statehood.
Project Jukebox – Oral histories on many topics from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
John E. Thwaites Photographs Images of Southeastern Alaska from 1905–1912 including the aftermath of Aleutian chain volcanic eruptions; maritime disasters including the famous 1910 Farallon shipwreck; Aleutian Natives and Eskimos, Alaska industries and small town daily life.
Frank H. Nowell Photographs Photographs documenting scenery, towns, businesses, mining activities, Native Americans, and Eskimos in the vicinity of Nome, Alaska from 1901–1909.
Alaska and Western Canada Collection Images documenting Alaska and Western Canada, primarily the provinces of Yukon Territory and British Columbia depicting scenes of the Gold Rush of 1898, city street scenes, Eskimo and Native Americans of the region, hunting and fishing, and transportation.
Other sources
Collection of Historical Images of Alaska from 1890–1920
Photo of Japanese fighter downed over Alaska 1942
The short film ALASKAN HERITAGE (1967) is available for free download at the Internet Archive
The short film ALASKAN CENTENNIAL (1967) is available for free download at the Internet Archive
[show]
v
t
e
History of Alaska
Timeline of Alaska
Prehistory
Russian America (1733–1867)
Department of Alaska (1867–1884)
District of Alaska (1884–1912)
Territory of Alaska (1912–1959)
Recent history (1959–present)
Topics and events
Russian-American Company
Alaska Purchase
Gold Rush era
Klondike
Nome
Fairbanks
Alaska boundary dispute
1925 serum run to Nome
World War II
Aleutian Islands Campaign
Project Hula
Alaska Statehood Act
1964 earthquake
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Exxon Valdez oil spill
History of Anchorage
timeline
History of Fairbanks
Other topics
[show]
v
t
e
History of the United States by polity
States
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Federal district
Washington, D.C.
Insular areas
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Outlying islands
Baker Island
Howland Island
Jarvis Island
Johnston Atoll
Kingman Reef
Midway Atoll
Navassa Island
Palmyra Atoll
Wake Island
[show]
v
t
e
State of Alaska
Juneau (capital)
Topics
Index
Geography
Earthquakes
Climate
Wildlife
History
People
Transportation
Government
Delegations
Music
Tourist attractions
Society
Culture
Crime
Demographics
Economy
Education
Health (Rural dentistry)
Politics
Sports
Regions
Alaska Peninsula
Aleutian Islands
Arctic
The Bush
Inside Passage
Interior
Kenai Peninsula
Mat‑Su Valley
North Slope
Seward Peninsula
Southcentral
Southeast
Southwest
Tanana Valley
Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta
Largest cities
Anchorage
Badger
Utqiaġvik
Bethel
Dillingham
Fairbanks
Homer
Juneau
Kenai
Ketchikan
Kodiak
Kotzebue
Nome
Palmer
Petersburg
Seward
Sitka
Soldotna
Unalaska
Valdez
Wasilla
Boroughs
Aleutians East
Anchorage
Bristol Bay
Denali
Fairbanks North Star
Haines
Juneau
Kenai Peninsula
Ketchikan Gateway
Kodiak Island
Lake and Peninsula
Matanuska‑Susitna
North Slope
Northwest Arctic
Petersburg
Sitka
Skagway
Wrangell
Yakutat
Unorganized
Census Areas
Aleutians West
Bethel
Dillingham
Hoonah–Angoon
Kusilvak
Nome
Prince of Wales–Hyder
Southeast Fairbanks
Valdez–Cordova
Yukon–Koyukuk
[show]
v
t
e
Years in Alaska (1959–present)
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_Alaska&oldid=825364381"
Categories:
History of Alaska
History of the United States by state
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
All articles with minor POV problems
Articles with minor POV problems from July 2014
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from April 2007
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2005
All articles containing potentially dated statements
CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Català
Dansk
Deutsch
Español
فارسی
Français
Ido
Magyar
日本語
Norsk
Română
Русский
Edit links
This page was last edited on 12 February 2018, at 23:58.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

attrs: href class title

values:
/wiki/Historical_outline_of_Alaska
mw-redirect
Historical outline of Alaska

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: class style

value: b

values:
/wiki/Bering_land_bridge
mw-redirect
Bering land bridge

values:
/wiki/Alaska_Native
mw-redirect
Alaska Native

values:
/wiki/Yukon_Territory
mw-redirect
Yukon Territory

values:
/wiki/Military_bases
mw-redirect
Military bases

values:
/wiki/Good_Friday_earthquake
mw-redirect
Good Friday earthquake

values:
/wiki/Prudhoe_Bay
mw-redirect
Prudhoe Bay

values:
/wiki/Trans-Alaska_Pipeline
mw-redirect
Trans-Alaska Pipeline

values: padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.2em;padding-top:0;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em;background: gold;

values: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;width: 18em;

values:
/wiki/Tlingit_people
mw-redirect
Tlingit people

values:
/wiki/Aleut_people
mw-redirect
Aleut people

values:
/wiki/Inupiat_people
mw-redirect
Inupiat people

values:
/wiki/Bering_Land_Bridge
mw-redirect
Bering Land Bridge

values:
/wiki/Alaska_Panhandle
mw-redirect
Alaska Panhandle

values: Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast

values:
/wiki/Queen_Charlotte_Islands
mw-redirect
Queen Charlotte Islands

values:
/wiki/Russian_Alaska
mw-redirect
Russian Alaska

values:
/wiki/Infectious_diseases
mw-redirect
Infectious diseases

values:
/wiki/Three_Saints_Bay,_Alaska
mw-redirect
Three Saints Bay, Alaska

values:
/wiki/Alexandr_Baranov
mw-redirect
Alexandr Baranov

values:
/wiki/Alaska_Territory
mw-redirect
Alaska Territory

values:
/wiki/Russian_Orthodox
mw-redirect
Russian Orthodox

values:
/wiki/Spanish_expeditions_to_Alaska
mw-redirect
Spanish expeditions to Alaska

values:
/wiki/Bruno_de_Hezeta
mw-redirect
Bruno de Hezeta

values: Esteban José Martínez Fernández y Martínez de la Sierra

values:
/wiki/Adams-On%C3%ADs_Treaty
mw-redirect
Adams-Onís Treaty

values:
/wiki/Spanish_people
mw-redirect
Spanish people

values: Edit section: Later Russian settlement and the Russian-American Company (1799–1867)

values:
/wiki/Nikolay_Petrovich_Rezanov
mw-redirect
Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov

values: Edit section: The Department of Alaska (1867–1884)

values: United States Department of the Treasury

values: Edit section: District of Alaska (1884–1912)

values:
/wiki/Copper_mining
mw-redirect
Copper mining

values: Edit section: Alaska Territory (1912–1959)

values:
/wiki/Warren_Harding
mw-redirect
Warren Harding

values:
/wiki/The_Depression
mw-redirect
The Depression

values: United Congo Improvement Association (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Battle_of_the_Aleutian_Islands
mw-redirect
Battle of the Aleutian Islands

values:
/wiki/United_States_law
mw-redirect
United States law

values:
/wiki/Capital_(political)
mw-redirect
Capital (political)

values: List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska

values:
/wiki/Unorganized_borough
mw-redirect
Unorganized borough

values: This statement is possibly biased. (July 2014)

values: Edit section: 1968 – present: oil and land politics

values: Edit section: Oil discovery, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act(ANCSA), and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

values:
/wiki/Land_ownership
mw-redirect
Land ownership

values:
/wiki/Ice-free_port
mw-redirect
Ice-free port

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (April 2007)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update

values: Edit section: Environmentalism, the Exxon Valdez, and ANWR

values:
/wiki/Alcan_Highway
mw-redirect
Alcan Highway

values:
/wiki/Alaska_Marine_Highway_System
mw-redirect
Alaska Marine Highway System

values: Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

values:
/wiki/National_Wild_and_Scenic_River
mw-redirect
National Wild and Scenic River

values:
/wiki/U.S._Fish_and_Wildlife_Service
mw-redirect
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

values:
/wiki/Drilling_(oil)
mw-redirect
Drilling (oil)

values:
/wiki/US_Geological_Survey
mw-redirect
US Geological Survey

values: Edit section: Notable historical figures

values: Clarence L. Andrews (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Edward_Lewis_%22Bob%22_Bartlett
mw-redirect
Edward Lewis "Bob" Bartlett

values:
/wiki/Jesse_Lee_Home
mw-redirect
Jesse Lee Home

values:
/wiki/Shadow_senator
mw-redirect
Shadow senator

values:
/wiki/Ernest_Henry_Gruening
mw-redirect
Ernest Henry Gruening

values: Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

values:
/wiki/U.S._Forest_Service
mw-redirect
U.S. Forest Service

values:
/wiki/Saint_Herman_of_Alaska
mw-redirect
Saint Herman of Alaska

values:
/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox
mw-redirect
Eastern Orthodox

values:
/wiki/Walter_Hickel
mw-redirect
Walter Hickel

values:
/wiki/U.S._Secretary_of_the_Interior
mw-redirect
U.S. Secretary of the Interior

values:
/wiki/Sheldon_Jackson_Museum
mw-redirect
Sheldon Jackson Museum

values: National Register of Historic Places listings in Alaska

values: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

values:
/wiki/Saint_Innocent_of_Alaska
mw-redirect
Saint Innocent of Alaska

values:
/wiki/Ferdinand_von_Wrangell
mw-redirect
Ferdinand von Wrangell

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values: History of the west coast of North America

values: Edit section: References and further reading

values: Category:CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list

values:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/oclc/480059

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.nps.gov/akso/akarc/early.htm

values:
nofollow
external text
http://kodiakisland.net/timeline.html

values:
nofollow
external free
http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/exxon.htm

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.akhistorycourse.org

values:
nofollow
external text
http://vilda.alaska.edu

values:
navbox-image
2
width:1px;padding:0px 2px 0px 0px

values:
navbox-image
2
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Template:U.S. political divisions histories

values: Template talk:U.S. political divisions histories

values: History of the United States Virgin Islands

values:
/wiki/History_of_Baker_Island
mw-redirect
History of Baker Island

values:
/wiki/History_of_Howland_Island
mw-redirect
History of Howland Island

values:
/wiki/History_of_Jarvis_Island
mw-redirect
History of Jarvis Island

values:
/wiki/History_of_Johnston_Atoll
mw-redirect
History of Johnston Atoll

values:
/wiki/History_of_Kingman_Reef
mw-redirect
History of Kingman Reef

values:
/wiki/History_of_Midway_Atoll
mw-redirect
History of Midway Atoll

values:
/wiki/History_of_Navassa_Island
mw-redirect
History of Navassa Island

values:
/wiki/History_of_Palmyra_Atoll
mw-redirect
History of Palmyra Atoll

values:
/wiki/History_of_Wake_Island
mw-redirect
History of Wake Island

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: col navbox-title 3 background-color:#BBDDFF;

values: United States congressional delegations from Alaska

values:
navbox-image
6
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values:
/wiki/Education_in_Alaska
mw-redirect
Education in Alaska

values:
/wiki/Utqia%C4%A1vik,_Alaska
mw-redirect
Utqiaġvik, Alaska

values: Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska

values: List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

values: Category:2019 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2021 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2023 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2024 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2025 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2026 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2027 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2028 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:2029 in Alaska (page does not exist)

values: Category:History of the United States by state

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Category:All articles with minor POV problems

values: Category:Articles with minor POV problems from July 2014

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from April 2007

values: Category:Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2005

values: Category:All articles containing potentially dated statements

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/History_of_Alaska
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: تاریخ آلاسکا – Persian

values: アラスカの歴史 – Japanese

values: История Аляски – Russian

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-History_of_Alaska rootpage-History_of_Alaska skin-vector action-view


text:
I Wish (R. Kelly song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"I Wish"
Standard artwork (U.S. 12-inch vinyl pictured)
Single by R. Kelly
from the album TP-2.com
Released
August 25, 2000
Recorded
2000
Genre
R&B
soul
gospel
Length
5:34 (Album version)
5:16 (Radio edit)
Label
Jive
Songwriter(s)
Robert Kelly
Producer(s)
R. Kelly
R. Kelly singles chronology
"Bad Man"
(2000) Bad Man2000 "I Wish"
(2000) I Wish2000 "Fiesta (Remix)"
(2001) Fiesta (Remix)2001
"I Wish - Remix (To the Homies That We Lost)"
Single by R. Kelly featuring Boo & Gotti
from the album TP-2.com
Released
November 7, 2000
Recorded
2000
Genre
R&B, soul, hip hop
Length
5:18
Label
Jive
Songwriter(s)
R. Kelly
Producer(s)
R. Kelly
"I Wish" is an R&B song recorded by American singer-songwriter R. Kelly, from the album TP-2.com. It was released as the album's first single. It spent three weeks at number-one on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number fourteen on the U.S. Hot 100 chart.[1] The song is dedicated to his mother as well as friends and other loved ones of his who have died. This song was originally going to feature rapper 2Pac, but he died before recording his verse.[2] The remix, which was titled "I Wish - Remix (To the Homies That We Lost) featured Hip Hop duo Boo & Gotti, who were then signed to his Rockland Records imprint.
Contents
[hide]
1 Music video
2 Awards and nominations
3 Legacy
3.1 Sampling
4 Charts
4.1 Peak positions
4.2 Year-end charts
4.3 Certifications
5 References
6 External links
Music video[edit]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2015)
The official music video for the song was directed by Kelly and Christopher Erskin.[3] R. Kelly's daughter Joann Kelly is featured in the video.
Awards and nominations[edit]
Grammy Awards
2001, Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male (nominated)[4]
MTV Video Music Awards
2001, Best R&B Video (nominated)[5]
NAACP Image Awards
2001, Outstanding Music Video (won)[6]
Soul Train Music Award
2001, Best R&B/Soul Single, Male (won)[7]
BMI Urban Awards
2001, Most-Performed Song (won)
Legacy[edit]
Sampling[edit]
"My Wish" by Beenie Man from the album Riddim Driven: Juice (2001)
"Villuminati" by J. Cole from the album Born Sinner (2013)[8]
Charts[edit]
Peak positions[edit]
Chart (2000–01)
Peak
position
Weeks on
Chart
UK Single Chart 12
Australia Single Chart 77
Belgium Chart (Ultratop) 36
Belgium Chart (Ultratip)[9] 7
France Single Chart 40
German Single Chart 10
Dutch Single Chart 6
Swedish Single Chart 50
Swiss Single Chart 29
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] 14 21
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[1] 1 25
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs[1] 34 5
U.S. Billboard Radio Songs[1] 10 21
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[1] 11
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (2001)
Position
US Billboard Hot 100[10]
87
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[11]
48
Certifications[edit]
Territory
Certifier
Certification
Sales
United States RIAA Gold[12] 500,000
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "I Wish - R. Kelly Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
Jump up ^ http://hiphopwired.com/2010/10/31/r-kelly-says-best-of-both-worlds-album-was-originally-for-2pac-not-jay-z-30097/
Jump up ^ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - R. Kelly - "I wish"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
Jump up ^ "43rd Grammy Awards - 2001". Rock On The Net. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
Jump up ^ "2001 MTV Video Music Awards". Rock On The Net. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
Jump up ^ "Yolanda Adams Takes Four NAACP Image Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
Jump up ^ "R. Kelly, Jagged Edge Lead Soul Train Awards". ABC News. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
Jump up ^ http://www.whosampled.com/sample/212222/J.-Cole-Villuminati-R.-Kelly-Boo-%26-Gotti-I-Wish-(Remix)-(To-the-Homies-That-We-Lost)/
Jump up ^ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/1171/R.-Kelly-I-Wish
Jump up ^ "2001 Year End Charts – The Billboard Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
Jump up ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20071114175536/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+R&B%2FHip-Hop+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=2001
Jump up ^ https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=R%20Kelly&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50 Archived 2015-03-29 at the Wayback Machine.
External links[edit]
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Preceded by
"Bag Lady" by Erykah Badu Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single
November 18 - December 2, 2000 Succeeded by
"I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" by Jay-Z
[show]
v
t
e
R. Kelly: 12 Play
12 Play albums
12 Play
TP-2.com
TP.3 Reloaded
12 Play
"Sex Me"
"Bump N' Grind"
"Your Body's Callin'"
"Summer Bunnies"
"It Seems Like You're Ready"
"Sadie"
TP-2.com
"I Wish"
"The Storm Is Over Now"
"Fiesta (Remix)"
"Feelin' on Yo Booty"
"A Woman's Threat"
"R&B Thug"
TP.3 Reloaded
"In the Kitchen"
"Trapped in the Closet (Chapter 1)"
"Playa's Only"
"Slow Wind"
"Burn It Up"
Tours
The 12 Play Very Necessary Tour
The TP-2.com Tour
R. Kelly Live the Light It Up Tour
Related articles
R. Kelly
R. Kelly discography
12 Play: 4th Quarter
Hair Braider
Skin
Kelly's 12 Play
[show]
v
t
e
R. Kelly singles
Discography
Production Discography
Videography
Awards and nominations
Born into the 90's
"She's Got That Vibe"
"Honey Love"
"Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)"
"Dedicated"
"Hey Love (Can I Have a Word)"
12 Play
"Sex Me (Parts I and II)"
"Bump N' Grind"
"Your Body's Callin'"
"Summer Bunnies"
"It Seems Like You're Ready"
R. Kelly
"You Remind Me of Something"
"Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)"
"Thank God It's Friday"
"I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)"
R.
"I Believe I Can Fly"
"Gotham City"
"Half on a Baby"
"Home Alone"
"I'm Your Angel"
"When a Woman's Fed Up"
"Did You Ever Think"
"If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time"
"Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy"
TP-2.com
"I Wish"
"The Storm Is Over Now"
"Fiesta (Remix)"
"Feelin' on Yo Booty"
"A Woman's Threat"
Chocolate Factory
"The World's Greatest"
"Ignition (Remix)"
"Snake"
"Step in the Name of Love (Remix)"
The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1
"Thoia Thoing"
Happy People/U Saved Me
"Happy People"
"U Saved Me"
TP.3 Reloaded
"In the Kitchen"
"Trapped in the Closet (Chapter 1)"
"Playa's Only"
"Slow Wind"
"Burn It Up"
Double Up
"I'm a Flirt (Remix)"
"Same Girl"
"Double Up"
"Rock Star"
Untitled
"Supaman High"
"Number One"
"Religious"
"Echo"
"Be My #2"
Love Letter
"When a Woman Loves"
"Love Letter"
"Radio Message"
"Number One Hit"
Write Me Back
"Share My Love"
"Feelin' Single"
"When a Man Lies"
Black Panties
"My Story"
"Genius"
"Cookie"
"Legs Shakin'"
The Buffet
"Backyard Party"
"Switch Up"
Other singles
"Soldier's Heart"
"Take You Home With Me (A.K.A. Body)"
"Honey"
"Big Chips"
"Hair Braider"
"Skin"
"I Believe"
"Sign of a Victory"
"Platinum"
"To the World"
"I Look to You"
"Bump & Grind 2014"
"Ignition (Viceroy Remix)"
Featured singles
"Down with the Clique"
"Street Dreams (Remix)"
"Be Careful"
"Friend of Mine (Remix)"
"Satisfy You"
"Contagious"
"We Thuggin'"
"Gigolo"
"Hotel"
"Gangsta Girl"
"Till the World Ends"
"So Sexy"
"So Sexy: Chapter II (Like This)"
"Wonderful"
"That's That Shit"
"Go Getta"
"Speedin'"
"All the Above"
"Ms. Chocolate"
"Throwin' My Money"
"We Been On"
"Do What U Want"
"PYD"
"Make The World Go Round"
"It's Your World"
Soundtrack singles
"I Believe I Can Fly"
"Gotham City"
"Bad Man"
"World's Greatest
"I Believe"
"Christmas, I'll Be Steppin'"
Other songs
"It Seems Like You're Ready"
"Sadie"
"TP-2"
"R&B Thug"
"Heaven I Need a Hug"
"I Need an Angel"
"Real Talk"
"You Are Not Alone"
"Shut Up
"Betcha Gon' Know"
"Marching Band"
"Wake Up Everybody"
Category:R. Kelly songs
Category:Songs written by R. Kelly
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Wish_(R._Kelly_song)&oldid=832266551"
Categories:
2000 singles
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles
Jive Records singles
Music videos directed by Christopher Erskin
Music videos directed by R. Kelly
R. Kelly songs
Song recordings produced by R. Kelly
Songs in memory of deceased persons
Songs written by R. Kelly
2000 songs
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters
Articles with hAudio microformats
Articles to be expanded from February 2015
All articles to be expanded
Articles using small message boxes
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Français
Edit links
This page was last edited on 24 March 2018, at 22:03.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: th

attrs: colspan class style

value: tr

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

value: i

value: td

attrs: colspan style

attrs: href title

values: width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding: .2em .1em .2em 0

values: width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding: .2em 0 .2em .1em

values: background: transparent; width: 100%; min-width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse

values: plainlinks metadata ambox mbox-small-left ambox-content

values:
/wiki/MTV_Video_Music_Awards
mw-redirect
MTV Video Music Awards

values:
/wiki/Soul_Train_Music_Award
mw-redirect
Soul Train Music Award

values:
/wiki/Top_40_Mainstream
mw-redirect
Top 40 Mainstream

values:
/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100_Airplay
mw-redirect
Billboard Hot 100 Airplay

values:
/wiki/Rhythmic_Top_40
mw-redirect
Rhythmic Top 40

values:
col
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values:
/wiki/Billboard_Hot_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Songs
mw-redirect
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

values: wikitable sortable plainrowheaders jquery-tablesorter

values: border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; border: 0; background:transparent; width:100%;

values:
/wiki/Nielsen_Company
mw-redirect
Nielsen Company

values: List of number-one R&B hits (United States)

values:
/wiki/12_Play:_4th_Quarter
mw-redirect
12 Play: 4th Quarter

values:
/wiki/Skin_(R._Kelly_song)
mw-redirect
Skin (R. Kelly song)

values:
/wiki/Kelly%27s_12_Play
mw-redirect
Kelly's 12 Play

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values:
R._Kelly_singles
fn
font-size:114%;margin:0 4em

values: List of awards and nominations received by R. Kelly

values:
navbox-abovebelow
2
background: #EEEEEE;

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;background: #EEEEEE;

values:
/wiki/Religious_(R._Kelly_song)
mw-redirect
Religious (R. Kelly song)

values:
/wiki/Love_Letter_(R._Kelly_song)
mw-redirect
Love Letter (R. Kelly song)

values:
/wiki/Radio_Message
mw-redirect
Radio Message

values:
/wiki/Number_One_Hit
mw-redirect
Number One Hit

values:
/wiki/Honey_(R._Kelly_%26_Jay_Z)
mw-redirect
Honey (R. Kelly & Jay Z)

values:
/wiki/Gangsta_Girl
mw-redirect
Gangsta Girl

values:
/wiki/Throwin%27_My_Money
mw-redirect
Throwin' My Money

values:
/wiki/Make_The_World_Go_Round
mw-redirect
Make The World Go Round

values:
/wiki/The_World%27s_Greatest_(song)
mw-redirect
The World's Greatest (song)

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: nowraplinks vcard hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles

values: Category:Music videos directed by Christopher Erskin

values: Category:Music videos directed by R. Kelly

values: Category:Song recordings produced by R. Kelly

values: Category:Songs in memory of deceased persons

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Category:Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters

values: Category:Articles with hAudio microformats

values: Category:Articles to be expanded from February 2015

values: Category:Articles using small message boxes

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/I_Wish_(R._Kelly_song)
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-I_Wish_R_Kelly_song rootpage-I_Wish_R_Kelly_song skin-vector action-view


text:
List of languages by number of native speakers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For languages by total speakers, see List of languages by total number of speakers.
Current distribution of human language families
This article ranks human languages by their number of native speakers.
However, all such rankings should be used with caution.[1] It is difficult to define the difference between a language and a dialect, or between a language and a macrolanguage; for example, Chinese is sometimes considered a single language and sometimes a macrolanguage whose many varieties are all independent languages. Any division of speakers among languages is the result of the classification of these speakers. Often such classifications are based on political or cultural factors. Although such classifications are not entirely arbitrary, it is not possible to devise a coherent linguistic set of criteria for the boundaries between languages.
For a list of languages with the smallest numbers of native speakers, see lists of endangered languages.
Contents
[hide]
1 Top languages by population
2 Charts and graphs
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links
Top languages by population
The following table contains the top 100 languages by estimated number of native speakers in the 2007 edition of Nationalencyklopedin. As census methods in different countries vary to a considerable extent, and given that some countries do not record language in their censuses, any list of languages by native speakers, or total speakers, is effectively based on estimates. Updated estimates from 2010 are also provided.[2]
The top eleven languages have additional figures from the 2010 edition of the Nationalencyklopedin. Numbers above 95 million are rounded off to the nearest 5 million.
Top languages by population per Nationalencyklopedin
Rank
Language
Native
speakers
in millions
2007 (2010)
Fraction
of world
population
(2007)
1 Mandarin (entire branch) 935 (955) 14.1%
2 Spanish 390 (405) 5.85%
3 English 365 (360) 5.52%
4 Hindi[a] 295 (310) 4.46%
5 Arabic 280 (295) 4.23%
6 Portuguese 205 (215) 3.08%
7 Bengali (Bangla) 200 (205) 3.05%
8 Russian 160 (155) 2.42%
9 Japanese 125 (125) 1.92%
10 Punjabi 95 (100) 1.44%
11 German 92 (95) 1.39%
12 Javanese 82 1.25%
13 Wu (e.g. Shanghainese) 80 1.20%
14 Malay (inc. Malaysian and Indonesian) 77 1.16%
15 Telugu 76 1.15%
16 Vietnamese 76 1.14%
17 Korean 76 1.14%
18 French 75 1.12%
19 Marathi 73 1.10%
20 Tamil 70 1.06%
21 Urdu 66 0.99%
22 Turkish 63 0.95%
23 Italian 59 0.90%
24 Yue (incl. Cantonese) 59 0.89%
25 Thai 56 0.85%
26 Gujarati 49 0.74%
27 Jin 48 0.72%
28 Southern Min (incl. Hokkien and Teochew) 47 0.71%
29 Persian 45 0.68%
30 Polish 40 0.61%
31 Pashto 39 0.58%
32 Kannada 38 0.58%
33 Xiang (Hunanese) 38 0.58%
34 Malayalam 38 0.57%
35 Sundanese 38 0.57%
36 Hausa 34 0.52%
37 Odia (Oriya) 33 0.50%
38 Burmese 33 0.50%
39 Hakka 31 0.46%
40 Ukrainian 30 0.46%
41 Bhojpuri 29[b] 0.43%
42 Tagalog (Filipino) 28 0.42%
43 Yoruba 28 0.42%
44 Maithili 27[b] 0.41%
45 Uzbek 26 0.39%
46 Sindhi 26 0.39%
47 Amharic 25 0.37%
48 Fula 24 0.37%
49 Romanian 24 0.37%
50 Oromo 24 0.36%
51 Igbo 24 0.36%
52 Azerbaijani 23 0.34%
53 Awadhi 22[b] 0.33%
54 Gan Chinese 22 0.33%
55 Cebuano (Visayan) 21 0.32%
56 Dutch 21 0.32%
57 Kurdish 21 0.31%
58 Serbo-Croatian 19 0.28%
59 Malagasy 18 0.28%
60 Saraiki 17[c] 0.26%
61 Nepali 17 0.25%
62 Sinhalese 16 0.25%
63 Chittagonian 16 0.24%
64 Zhuang 16 0.24%
65 Khmer 16 0.24%
66 Turkmen 16 0.24%
67 Assamese 15 0.23%
68 Madurese 15 0.23%
69 Somali 15 0.22%
70 Marwari 14[b] 0.21%
71 Magahi 14[b] 0.21%
72 Haryanvi 14[b] 0.21%
73 Hungarian 13 0.19%
74 Chhattisgarhi 12[b] 0.19%
75 Greek 12 0.18%
76 Chewa 12 0.17%
77 Deccan 11 0.17%
78 Akan 11 0.17%
79 Kazakh 11 0.17%
80 Northern Min[disputed – discuss] 10.9 0.16%
81 Sylheti 10.7 0.16%
82 Zulu 10.4 0.16%
83 Czech 10.0 0.15%
84 Kinyarwanda 9.8 0.15%
85 Dhundhari 9.6[b] 0.15%
86 Haitian Creole 9.6 0.15%
87 Eastern Min (inc. Fuzhounese) 9.5 0.14%
88 Ilocano 9.1 0.14%
89 Quechua 8.9 0.13%
90 Kirundi 8.8 0.13%
91 Swedish 8.7 0.13%
92 Hmong 8.4 0.13%
93 Shona 8.3 0.13%
94 Uyghur 8.2 0.12%
95 Hiligaynon/Ilonggo (Visayan) 8.2 0.12%
96 Mossi 7.6 0.11%
97 Xhosa 7.6 0.11%
98 Belarusian 7.6[d] 0.11%
99 Balochi 7.6 0.11%
100 Konkani 7.4 0.11%
Total
5,610 85%
Charts and graphs
Bubble chart of languages by proportion of native speakers worldwide[2]
Languages with at least 50 million first-language speakers, millions (according to: Ethnologue[4])
See also
Global language system
Linguistic demography
Linguistic Diversity Index
List of ISO 639-3 codes
List of languages by total number of speakers
List of languages by number of native speakers in India (uses a different definition of Hindi)
List of sign languages by number of native signers
Lists of languages
World language
Languages used on the Internet
Notes
Jump up ^ Refers to only Modern Standard Hindi here. The Census of India defines Hindi on a loose and broad basis. It does not include the entire Hindustani language , only the Hindi register of it. In addition to Standard Hindi, it incorporates a set of other Indo-Aryan languages written in Devanagari script including Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Haryanvi, Dhundhari etc. under Hindi group which have more than 422 million native speakers as of 2001.[3] However, the census also acknowledges Standard Hindi, the above mentioned languages and others as separate mother tongues of the Hindi language and provides individual figures for all these languages.[3]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h This is only a fraction of total speakers; others are counted under "Hindi" as they regard their language a Hindi dialect.
Jump up ^ Numbers may also be counted in Punjabi above
Jump up ^ Only half this many use Belarusian as their home language.
References
Jump up ^ Paolillo, John C.; Das, Anupam (31 March 2006). "Evaluating language statistics: the Ethnologue and beyond" (PDF). UNESCO Institute of Statistics. pp. 3–5. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b Mikael Parkvall, "Världens 100 största språk 2007" (The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007), in Nationalencyklopedin. Asterisks mark the 2010 estimates for the top dozen languages.
^ Jump up to: a b Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2000, Census of India, 2001
Jump up ^ Summary by language size
External links
The Ethnologue's most recent list of languages by number of speakers
Languages Spoken by More Than 10 Million People (Archived 2009-10-31) – Encarta list, based on data from Ethnologue, but some figures (e.g. for Arabic) widely vary from it
Map of World Languages. Download of MP3 audio files in 1600 language combinations.
[show]
v
t
e
Countries and languages lists
[hide]
Countries
By languages
Spoken
Countries by spoken languages
Official
Countries by the number of recognized official languages
Arabic
Chinese
Dutch/Afrikaans
English
French
German
Malay
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Spanish
Tamil
Endonyms
Countries and capitals in native languages
Exonyms
Country names in various languages
A–C
D–I
J–P
Q–Z
Languages of the European Union
[hide]
Languages
By continent
Africa
Americas
North
South
Asia
East
South
Europe
Oceania
By country
Official languages
by state
List of languages without official status
Countries by the number of recognized official languages
Languages by the number of countries in which they are recognized as an official language
By population
By number of native speakers
By number of total speakers
Languages in censuses
By family
Language families
Language-based
geopolitical
organizations
Arab League (Arabic)
Dutch Language Union (Dutch)
English Speaking Union
Francophonie (French)
Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Portuguese)
Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa (Portuguese)
Latin Union (Romance)
Hispanidad (Spanish)
Turkic Council (Turkic)
International Organization of Turkic Culture (Turkic)
See also
Lists of languages
Category:Languages
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers&oldid=817447439"
Categories:
Lists of languages
Hidden categories:
Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages
All accuracy disputes
Articles with disputed statements from January 2017
Use dmy dates from October 2010
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
View source
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
العربية
Asturianu
Azərbaycanca
বাংলা
Brezhoneg
Català
Čeština
Cymraeg
Dansk
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Français
Gaeilge
Galego
한국어
हिन्दी
Hrvatski
Bahasa Indonesia
Interlingua
Ирон
Italiano
ಕನ್ನಡ
Къарачай-малкъар
Қазақша
Лезги
Latviešu
Lietuvių
Magyar
Македонски
मराठी
Bahasa Melayu
日本語
Norsk
Norsk nynorsk
Oʻzbekcha/ўзбекча
Papiamentu
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Shqip
Simple English
Slovenčina
Slovenščina
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
தமிழ்
Татарча/tatarça
ไทย
Türkçe
Українська
اردو
Tiếng Việt
吴语
Yorùbá
粵語
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 28 December 2017, at 12:34.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: class id

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values: List of languages by total number of speakers

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

values:
/wiki/Native_speaker
mw-redirect
Native speaker

value: p

value: sup

values:
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

attrs: data-sort-type class tabindex role title

values:
number
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values:
/wiki/Hindi_language
mw-redirect
Hindi language

values:
/wiki/Arabic_language
mw-redirect
Arabic language

values:
/wiki/Hokkien_language
mw-redirect
Hokkien language

values:
/wiki/Teochew_language
mw-redirect
Teochew language

values:
/wiki/Pashto_language
mw-redirect
Pashto language

values:
/wiki/Kannada_language
mw-redirect
Kannada language

values:
/wiki/Malayalam_language
mw-redirect
Malayalam language

values:
/wiki/Amharic_language
mw-redirect
Amharic language

values:
/wiki/Kurdish_language
mw-redirect
Kurdish language

values:
/wiki/Deccan_language
mw-redirect
Deccan language

values: This claim has reliable sources with contradicting facts (January 2017)

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:Disputed_statement
mw-redirect
Wikipedia:Disputed statement

values: Talk:List of languages by number of native speakers

values:
/wiki/Quechua_languages
mw-redirect
Quechua languages

values:
/wiki/Linguistic_Diversity_Index
mw-redirect
Linguistic Diversity Index

values: List of sign languages by number of native signers

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em;

values:
/wiki/Dhundhari_language
mw-redirect
Dhundhari language

values:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: lower-alpha;

values:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

values: Template talk:Countries and languages lists

values: List of countries by the number of recognized official languages

values: List of countries where Arabic is an official language

values: List of territorial entities where Chinese is an official language

values: List of territorial entities where Afrikaans and Dutch are official languages

values: List of territorial entities where English is an official language

values: List of countries where French is an official language

values: List of countries where German is an official language

values: List of territorial entities where Malay is an official language

values: List of territorial entities where Portuguese is an official language

values: List of countries where Romanian is an official language

values: List of countries where Russian is an official language

values: List of countries where Spanish is an official language

values: List of territorial entities where Tamil is an official language

values: List of countries and dependencies and their capitals in native languages

values: List of country names in various languages

values: List of country names in various languages (A–C)

values: List of country names in various languages (D–I)

values: List of country names in various languages (J–P)

values: List of country names in various languages (Q–Z)

values: nowraplinks collapsible expanded navbox-subgroup

values: List of languages without official status

values: List of languages by the number of countries in which they are recognized as an official language

values:
/wiki/English_Speaking_Union
mw-redirect
English Speaking Union

values: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

values: Community of Portuguese Language Countries

values: International Organization of Turkic Culture

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages

values: Category:Articles with disputed statements from January 2017

values: Category:Use dmy dates from October 2010

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values:
This page is protected.
You can view its source [ctrl-alt-e]

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: قائمة اللغات حسب عدد متحدثيها الأصليين – Arabic

values: Llista d'idiomes por númberu de falantes – Asturian

values: Danışanların sayına görə dillər siyahısı – Azerbaijani

values: ভাষাভাষীর সংখ্যানুসারে ভাষাসমূহের তালিকা – Bangla

values: Roll ar yezhoù ar muiañ komzet er bed – Breton

values: Llista d'idiomes per nombre de parlants natius – Catalan

values: Seznam jazyků podle počtu mluvčích – Czech

values: Rhestr ieithoedd yn nhrefn nifer eu siaradwyr brodorol – Welsh

values: Verdens sprog sorteret efter antal talere – Danish

values: Anexo:Lenguas por número de hablantes nativos – Spanish

values: Listo de lingvoj laŭ parolantaro – Esperanto

values: Hizkuntzen zerrenda hiztun kopuruaren arabera – Basque

values: فهرست زبان‌ها بر پایه جمعیت سخنگویان بومی – Persian

values: Liste des langues par nombre de locuteurs natifs – French

values: Liosta teangacha de réir cainteoirí dúchasacha – Irish

values: Lista de linguas por número de falantes – Galician

values: 모어 화자 수순 언어 목록 – Korean

values: भाषाभाषियों की संख्या के अनुसार भाषाओं की सूची – Hindi

values: Popis jezika po broju govornika – Croatian

values: Daftar bahasa menurut jumlah penutur asli – Indonesian

values: Appendice:Lista de linguas del mundo per numero de parlatores – Interlingua

values: Æвзæгты номхыгъд дзурджыты нымæцмæ гæсгæ – Ossetic

values: Lingue per numero di parlanti madrelingua – Italian

values: ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಭಾಷೆಗಳು – Kannada

values: Сёлешгенлени санына кёре тиллени тизмеси – Karachay-Balkar

values: Сөйлеушілер саны бойынша тілдер тізімі – Kazakh

values: Рахазвайбурун кьадардиз килигна чӀаларин сиягь – Lezghian

values: Valodu uzskaitījums pēc runātāju skaita – Latvian

values: Sąrašas:Kalbos pagal gimtakalbius vartotojus – Lithuanian

values: Nyelvek listája a beszélők száma szerint – Hungarian

values: Список на јазиците по општиот број на говорници – Macedonian

values: जगातील भाषांची यादी – Marathi

values: Senarai bahasa mengikut bilangan penutur asli – Malay

values: ネイティブスピーカーの数が多い言語の一覧 – Japanese

values: Liste over språk etter utbredelse – Norwegian

values: Verdas språk etter utbreiing – Norwegian Nynorsk

values: Soʻzlashuvchilar soni boʻyicha tillar roʻyxati – Uzbek

values: Lista di lenganan segun total papiadonan nativo – Papiamento

values: Najczęściej używane języki świata – Polish

values: Lista de línguas por total de falantes – Portuguese

values: Listă de limbi după numărul de vorbitori – Romanian

values: Список языков по количеству носителей – Russian

values: List of languages by number of native speakers – Simple English

values: Zoznam jazykov podľa počtu hovoriacich – Slovak

values: Seznam jezikov po številu govorcev – Slovenian

values: Списак језика по броју говорника – Serbian

values: Jezici po broju govornika – Serbo-Croatian

values: Luettelo kielistä puhujamäärän perusteella – Finnish

values: Lista över världens största språk efter antal talare – Swedish

values: உலக மொழிகளின் பட்டியல் – Tamil

values: Сөйләшүчеләр саны буенча телләр исемлеге – Tatar

values: รายชื่อภาษาเรียงตามจำนวนผู้ใช้เป็นภาษาแม่ – Thai

values: Anadil olarak konuşulma sayılarına göre diller listesi – Turkish

values: Список мов за кількістю носіїв – Ukrainian

values: فہرست زبان بلحاظ مکلمین – Urdu

values: Danh sách ngôn ngữ theo tổng số người sử dụng – Vietnamese

values: Àkójọ àwọn èdè gẹ́gẹ́ bíi iye àwọn afisọ̀rọ̀ abínibí – Yoruba

values: 以母語人口排序的語言列表 – Chinese

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers rootpage-List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers skin-vector action-view