How did Alaska become a US State?

Summary

Summary of "Who Smarted?" Episode: How Did Alaska Become a US State?

Released on July 18, 2025

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Introduction to Alaska’s Immensity

The episode kicks off with Trusty Narrator aboard a ferry, highlighting Alaska's vastness compared to other U.S. states. Trusty poses a fun quiz to listeners, asking, “Is it A, Texas, B, California, or C, Alaska?” (00:03). The reveal that Alaska is the largest state sparks excitement, especially when Trusty mentions, “Alaska is so big that both Texas and California could fit inside it at the same time” (00:27).

Exploring Alaska with Buoy the Beluga Whale

Joining Trusty is Buoy the Beluga Whale, adding an engaging dynamic to the discussion. Buoy enthusiastically shares, “There’s a lot to explore and learn about” (01:24), setting the stage for an adventure through Alaska’s unique features.

The Meaning Behind "Alaska"

Trusty delves into the origin of Alaska’s name with Buoy prompting the quiz: “Does Alaska mean A the great land, B the land of the ice and the snow, or C the land of cake, ice cream, and brown meringue?” (04:19). Buoy correctly answers, “The name Alaska comes from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning the great land” (04:46), enlightening young listeners about the state’s etymology.

Alaska's Purchase from Russia

The conversation shifts to Alaska’s history as a U.S. state. Trusty asks, “Do you know what country Alaska used to belong to? Was it Canada, Finland, or Russia?” (04:54). Buoy confirms, “The answer is Russia” (05:04), leading to an intriguing fact: the U.S. purchased Alaska for $7.2 million in 1867, which is about $144 million today (05:07). This historical nugget emphasizes the significant investment made by the United States.

Statehood Facts and Myths

Addressing common misconceptions, Trusty presents true or false questions:

• “Alaska became a state right after the United States bought it.” (05:41) – False.
• “Alaska is the fiftieth state.” (06:24) – False; it is the 49th state.

Buoy adds, “Alaska is the 49th state, with Hawaii becoming the 50th state just eight months later in August of 1959” (06:24), clarifying the timeline of Alaska’s statehood.

Proximity to Russia and Natural Wonders

Buoy reveals Alaska's geographical closeness to Russia: “At its closest point, Alaska is only 50 miles, or 80.46 kilometers from Russia” (06:24). This proximity underscores Alaska’s strategic location.

The duo then explores Alaska’s natural phenomena, with Trusty highlighting the Northern Lights: “The Northern Lights are colorful bands of light, usually green, that dance in the dark night sky” (06:49). Buoy adds, “They can be seen on an average of 243 nights a year in Fairbanks, Alaska” (07:11), showcasing Alaska’s spectacular celestial displays.

Understanding the Midnight Sun

Trusty introduces another fascinating phenomenon, the midnight sun, prompting Buoy to explain: “During the midnight sun season, which runs from April 22 to August 20, the sun never seems to set” (07:37). This unique experience affects daily life, as Trusty humorously notes, “With this midnight sun, I might need a pair of sunglasses to sleep” (16:46).

Unique and Quirky Alaskan Laws

In a lighthearted segment, Trusty quizzes listeners on Alaskan laws:

• “A. No waking a sleeping bear to take a selfie.”
• “B. No dropping a moose from an airplane.”
• “C. No building a snowman taller than yourself.”
• “D. Don’t tie your dogs to the roof of your car.”

Buoy reveals all options are actual laws in Alaska (09:04), explaining the reasoning behind each to protect wildlife and ensure safety (09:15).

Alaska’s Wilderness and Natural Abundance

Buoy shares impressive statistics about Alaska’s natural resources: “Alaska has more than 100 volcanoes, 12,000 rivers, and 3 million lakes” (10:39). Trusty echoes the awe-inspiring nature of Alaska, emphasizing its role in conservation and wildlife protection.

North Pole, Alaska: A Festive Locale

The discussion turns to North Pole, Alaska, sparking curiosity among listeners. Trusty initially teases the notion, “North Pole Alaska is known for its year-round Christmas decorations” (14:30), and clarifies that it is a small city near Fairbanks, not the actual North Pole located in the Arctic Ocean (14:42).

Alaskan Coastlines and Seas

Trusty further explores Alaska’s extensive coastlines, asking listeners to guess the seas bordering the state. Buoy confirms, “The answer is B, the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea” (15:52), highlighting Alaska’s diverse marine environments.

Conclusion and Farewell

As the ferry nears its Alaskan destination, Trusty and Buoy wrap up their exploration. Buoy invites listeners to look out for various whale species during their visits, while Trusty delivers a heartfelt farewell, reinforcing the educational and entertaining essence of the episode.

Notable Quotes:

• “Alaska is so big that both Texas and California could fit inside it at the same time.” – Trusty Narrator (00:27)
• “The name Alaska comes from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning the great land.” – Buoy the Beluga Whale (04:46)
• “The Northern Lights are colorful bands of light, usually green, that dance in the dark night sky.” – Trusty Narrator (06:49)
• “During the midnight sun season, which runs from April 22 to August 20, the sun never seems to set.” – Buoy the Beluga Whale (07:37)
• “It’s illegal to wake a sleeping bear to take a selfie.” – Buoy the Beluga Whale (09:16)

Episode Credits:

• Written by: Jody Du
• Voiced by: Melissa Del Toro, Max Kamasky, Jerry Colbert
• Technical Direction and Sound Design: Josh Hahn
• Associate Producer: Max Kamasky
• Theme Song by: Brian Suarez, Lyrics by Adam Tex Davis
• Created and Produced by: Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert
• Recorded and Mixed at: Relic Room Studios

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This episode of "Who Smarted?" masterfully blends humor with educational content, making complex historical and geographical information accessible and entertaining for kids and families. Through engaging dialogue and interactive quizzes, Trusty and Buoy foster curiosity and a love for learning about Alaska’s unique place in the United States.

Transcript

[Trusty Narrator]

Ahoy, smarty pants. Trusty narrator here. And as you can hear, I'm on a ferry headed to the largest state in the United States. Any guesses what state that is, smarty pants? Is it A, Texas, B, California, or C, Alaska? Well, it's been said everything is bigger in Texas, but as big as Texas is, it's big. Not the biggest. And neither is California. The answer is Alaska. In fact, Alaska is so big that both Texas and California could fit inside it at the same time. And you can throw Montana in there as well. Alaska is big with a capital B. Oh, and speaking of big, I'm being joined on my trip to Alaska by my friend Buoy the beluga whale. In fact, there's Buoy swimming now alongside the ferry. Hey, Booey.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Hey, Trusty. Welcome back. And hey, smarty pants, if this is your first time in Alaska, welcome to my favorite place in the whole wide world.

[Trusty Narrator]

If I remember correctly, Buoy, I first met you five years ago on this exact ferry. And now I look forward to coming back every year to see you and explore Alaska.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

That's right, Trusty. And one of the great things about Alaska is there's a lot to explore and learn about.

[Trusty Narrator]

Absolutely. I was just explaining how big Alaska is.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Yeah. Did you tell them how you could fit 19 other states inside Alaska at once, Including Indiana, Oklahoma, and Florida?

[Trusty Narrator]

19 other states? Wow. I don't think I even knew that.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

That's what I mean. There's so much to see in Alaska. Things like the midnight sun and the northern lights. There's huge mountains and vast wilderness, great lakes and glaciers, and tons of amazing anim like bears, wolves, moose, and many different species of whales like me.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, boy, I can't wait. Of course, the smarty pants. And I also want to know, how, when, and why did Alaska become a state? What makes Alaska so important? And what does the name Alaska even mean?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Sounds like we're in for a fantastic episode.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yep, it's time for another whiff of science and history on who's smarted? Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smart? Ed, this episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Summer is the perfect time to finally take a few hours and launch that business. Seriously, if you've been sitting on an idea, Squarespace makes it feel not just doable, but exciting. I used it to build a site for one of our projects. And what really surprised me was blueprint their AI powered site builder. You type in a few details about what you're creating, and boom, you've got a beautiful personalized website layout in minutes. Plus, if you're offering services like coaching or teaching or consulting, Squarespace has tools built right in online payments, scheduling, even branded invoices. You can literally go from idea to income without ever leaving the platform. So if you've been waiting for the right moment, this is it. No more if only I knew how to build a site, or if I only had the time. Now you've got both, thanks to Squarespace, and at a price that's right for any small business. So head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial, and when you're ready to launch, use code smarted to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

You know, Trustee When I first got to swim to Alaska with my family, my grandma taught me the meaning of the word Alaska. Do you think the smarty pants can guess what it means?

[Trusty Narrator]

Only one way to find out. Buey smarty pants, does Alaska mean A the great land, B the land of the ice and the snow, or C the land of cake, ice cream, and brown meringue?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Huh.

[Trusty Narrator]

Well, if you said C, you're probably thinking of a baked Alaska, which is a dessert made of ice cream cake and topped with brown meringue that kind of resembles the mountains of Alaska. But the actual answer is what buoy?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

The name Alaska comes from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning the great land. Good job if you got that right, smarty pants.

[Trusty Narrator]

Of course, Alaska wasn't always part of the United States. Smarty pants, do you know what country Alaska used to belong to? Was it Canada, Finland, or Russia?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

The answer is Russia.

[Trusty Narrator]

Believe it or not, the United States bought Alaska from Russia. Any guesses how much Alaska cost? Was it just over $1 million, $7 million or $20 million? The answer is the United States paid $7.2 million to buy Alaska from Russia in 1867. That's about $144 million today, which sounds like a lot until you realize that's less than most Marvel movies make in their opening weekends.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Now Alaskans celebrate Seward's Day on March 30 to commemorate the sale.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smartypants true or false? Alaska became a state right after the United States bought it. The answer is false. Even though the USA purchased Alaska on March 30, 1867, Alaska didn't officially become a state until January 3, 1959. Whoa. True or false? Again, Alaska is the fiftieth state. The answer again, is false. Alaska is the 49th state, with Hawaii becoming the 50th state just eight months later in August of 1959.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Even though Alaska is part of the USA, it's actually much closer to Russia. At its closest point, Alaska is only 50 miles, or 80.46 kilometers from Russia. If you could drive across the ocean, it would take you under an hour. Of course, I prefer to swim.

[Trusty Narrator]

Say, Buoy, what is a must see thing in Alaska?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

That's easy. The Northern Lights. Also known as the Aurora Borealis, it's my favorite thing to see in Alaska. Smarty pants. For those of you who haven't seen the Northern Lights before, they are colorful bands of light, usually green, that dance in the dark night sky. Travelers from all over the world come to Alaska to see this stunning natural light display.

[Trusty Narrator]

And the good news is the Northern Lights are not a rare spectacle. They can be seen on an average of 243 nights a year in Fairbanks, Alaska.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Yep. Errs. And they happen in all four seasons. Of course, they are harder to see under the midnight sun. The best time to see the Northern Lights in Alaska is between August and April, when less daylight leads to darker night skies.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, you just mentioned the midnight sun, Smartypants. Can you figure out what the midnight sun is? Go ahead, take your best guess here. I'll let Buoy explain.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

During the midnight sun season, which runs from April 22 to August 20, the sun never seems to set. Imagine that for over two and a half months, there is no nighttime. You can wake up in the middle of the night to find the sun shining brightly and people out and about doing things. Fairbanks, Alaska has long been known as the land of the midnight sun.

[Trusty Narrator]

Whoa. While no night might seem fun, it can make it difficult to go to sleep. And since your body needs sleep, it can be a little tricky.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Speaking of tricky, have I got a funny question for you. Which of the following is an actual law in Alaska? A. No waking a sleeping bear to take a selfie. B, no dropping a moose from an airplane. C, no building a snowman taller than yourself. D. Don't tie your dogs to the roof of your car.

[Trusty Narrator]

Um, are you saying one of those crazy things is an actual law in Alaska?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Nope. I'm not saying one of those is is a law in Alaska, because the answer is they're all an actual law in Alaska.

[Trusty Narrator]

Really?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Yeppers. In Alaska, it's illegal to wake a sleeping bear to take a selfie. This law was put forward to protect hibernating bears since Tourists loved waltzing into their dens and disturbing the slumbering bears and moose. And their droppings are banned from being flung out of planes and helicopters in the small town of Talkeetna in Alaska. Which is a good thing, because a moose can grow to weigh 1500 pounds. You wouldn't want one falling on you.

[Trusty Narrator]

No, I would not. But what about the law against tall snowmen?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

As you can imagine, being so far up north, Alaska gets severe snowstorms, and it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between snowmen and actual kids covered in snow. So children aren't allowed to build snowmen taller than themselves. And lastly, in Anchorage, Alaska, no dogs or any animals, in fact, can be tied to the roof of a vehicle unless it is protected by a secure container that will prevent it from being hurt.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wow. Alaska is pretty weird. But it's good to know. Alaskans feel strongly about protecting their wildlife. Which also means protecting its wilderness.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Definitely. And speaking of wilderness, did you know Alaska has more than 100 volcanoes, 12,000 rivers, and 3 million lakes?

[Trusty Narrator]

I do now. What other facts do you have?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Bui well, have you ever heard of the annual running of the bulls in Spain? In Alaska, there's an annual running of the reindeers. People come from all over the world to see if they can outrun the reindeers on the streets of Anchorage.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wait, there are reindeer here in Alaska?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

There sure are.

[Trusty Narrator]

Next you'll tell me there's a Santa at a North Pole.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Well, there's no Santa here. But there is a North Pole in Alaska.

[Trusty Narrator]

What? That can't be right. The North Pole is in Alaska?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Yeppers. Here. I'll tell you all about it.

[Trusty Narrator]

Actually, hold that thought buoy while we take a quick break. Be right back. Hi, smarty pants. It's the trusty narrator, the host of who Smarted First, a big welcome to all our new listeners. Welcome to the Smarty family. Here's a nice five star review from one of you. Hi, Trusty. This is my new favorite podcast. I listen in the car with my sister and even before bed, I'm telling all my friends too. Sean P. Ohio. Thanks, Sean. And that's a great idea. So, smarty fam, would you mind doing me a favor? Tell one friend or another parent or an educator today about who'ssmarted. Because the only thing that's better than listening to whosmarted is listening to whosmarted with a friend. Hey guys, it's Trusty. Summer break is here, and while the kids are thrilled, a lot of parents are quietly wondering, how do we keep their brains from going totally mush. That's where IXL comes in. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine or your summer rhythm. Whether your child is catching up, staying sharp or getting a head start, IXL makes learning feel natural and fun, not like more school. What I love most is that it's flexible and personalized. Whether your kid is brushing up on third grade math or diving into middle school reading, IXL meets them right where they are and lets them move at their own pace. It also saves you time. Everything's organized by grade and subject with real time feedback, progress tracking, and step by step video tutorials that explain mistakes without judgment, just growth. So make an impact on your child's learning even when school's not in session. Get IXL now and who Smarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off IXL when you sign up [e-mail] smarted. That's ixl.com smarted kids, you have a lot of questions.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Is a crocodile a dinosaur? Why do people vote? How does your food turn into your poop? But why? A podcast for curious kids has answers. I'm Jane Lindholm. Join me as we dig deep into everything from science to history, nature, emotions, and sometimes even the weird why are.

[Trusty Narrator]

Jellyfishes made of jelly or are they made out of jelly?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Find. But why? Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Trusty Narrator]

Now back to who Smarted Smartypants. Just a minute ago, our friend Bui the Beluga Whale was about to tell us about the North Pole in Alaska. But that can't be right, can it? Perhaps Buoy has bumped their head on a few too many icebergs.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Well, while it is true I've bonked my head on a few icebergs, it is also true that there's a small Alaskan city near Fairbanks named North Pole.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, I get it. What's it like? Buey?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Actually, I don't know. I've always wanted to swim there and see it for myself, but my grandma said those waters are too shallow and I'd get stuck.

[Trusty Narrator]

Well, while you were talking, I just used my teleportation app to teleport there and back and I have this to report. North Pole Alaska is known for its year round Christmas decorations. It also has a Santa Claus house that's the official home of Santa and welcomes thousands and thousands of visitors from all over the world. But it's actually nowhere near the real North Pole. The real North Pole is actually in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Speaking of the Arctic Ocean, did you know Alaska has coastlines on three different seas, The Arctic Ocean being one of them?

[Trusty Narrator]

I did, Buoy. But let's see if the smarty pants can guess what the other two seas are. Is it A, the Red Sea and the Black Sea, B, the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, or C, the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Japan? Or D, the North Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean? Time's up, Buoy. You swim these seas. What's the answer?

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

The answer is B, the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Really great job if you got that one.

[Trusty Narrator]

Did you hear that? Sounds like the ferry captain just signaled. We're about to arrive in Alaska. Which means my time out here in the water with Buoy is coming to an end. It was great seeing you again, Buoy.

[Buoy the Beluga Whale]

Great to see you too, trusty narrator. And you too, smarty pants. If you ever find yourself taking the ferry to Alaska on the Alaska Marine highway, be sure to look for me, Buoy, the beluga whale, or my friends, the humpback whale, the gray whale, the fin whale, and the occasional blue or sperm whales. There's also orcas, but they're less friendly to whales. Either way, the best time to see us is between May and September. Bye now.

[Trusty Narrator]

Bye bye, Buoy. And bye bye nighttime. With this midnight sun, I might need a pair of sunglasses to sleep. A double dose of shout out to my smarty pals Nathaniel and Matthew in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. You told us who Smarted is fun, makes you laugh, and helps you learn all kinds of different things. Sounds like you two hit the smarty trifecta. Thanks, guys. This episode, Alaska was written by Jody Du and voiced by Melissa Del Toro, Max Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn, who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis, who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.