With an estimated 298,192 residents in 2016,[7] it is Alaska's most populous city and contains more than 40 percent of the state's total population; among the 50 states, only New York has a higher percentage of residents who live in its most populous city.
NOVEMBER 3, 1957: The Soviet Union sent the first living creature into space on this day in 1957 after a dog was rocketed into orbit. Laikaâs arrival on board Sputnik II delighted science fans - but angered animal lovers and humiliated the Americans, who at that time were yet to send up even a satellite.
1 First astronaut: Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., 1967, was the first black astronaut, but he died in a plane crash during a training flight and never made it into space. 2  Guion Bluford, 1983, became the first black astronaut to travel in space; Mae Jemison, 1992, became the first black female astronaut.