1872Education
Margaret Keenan Harrais (1872–1964), Fairbanks's first woman superintendent of schools
James C.
1901Government
Barnette founded Fairbanks in August 1901 while headed to Tanacross (or Tanana Crossing, where the Valdez–Eagle trail crossed the Tanana River), where he intended to set up a tr...
1903Government
There was a boom in construction, and in November 1903, the area's residents voted to incorporate Fairbanks as a city.
1904History
Rickert, who came from nearby Chena in 1904 and operated a large farm until his death in 1938.
1905Culture
The result was the Tanana Mines Railroad, which started operations in September 1905, using what had been the first steam locomotive in the Yukon Territory.
1906Culture
The park is home to the annual Midnight Sun Game, an annual tradition since 1906, played without artificial lights starting after ten at night on the summer solstice.
1907Infrastructure
In 1907, the railroad was reorganized and named the Tanana Valley Railroad.
1910Infrastructure
The railroad continued expanding until 1910, when the first gold boom began to falter and the introduction of automobiles into Fairbanks took business away from the railroad.
1917Government
Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the founding campus of the University of Alaska system, established in 1917.
1919History
The highest recorded temperature in Fairbanks was 99 °F (37 °C) on July 28, 1919, just a degree cooler than Alaska-wide record high temperature of 100 °F (38 °C), recorded in Fo...
1923History
Harding hammered in the ceremonial final spike in 1923.
1927Infrastructure
Fairbanks's road connections were improved in 1927, when the 161-mile (259 km) Steese Highway connected the city to the Yukon River at the gold-mining community of Circle.
1934History
The lowest was −66 °F (−54 °C) on January 14, 1934.
1935Culture
In these early years of settlement, the Tanana Valley was an important agricultural center for Alaska until the establishment of the Matanuska Valley Colonization Project and th...
1938Military
Fort Wainwright, previously named Ladd Field, was built east of the city beginning in 1938 and is operated by the U.S.
1940History
Until 1940, none of Fairbanks's surface streets were paved.
1942Infrastructure
In 1942, the Alaska Highway connected the Richardson Highway to the Canadian road system, allowing road travel from the rest of the United States to Fairbanks, which is consider...
1946Government
=== Utilities ===
Electricity is provided by the Golden Valley Electric Association, an electric cooperative formed in 1946 to serve areas that the City of Fairbanks's Municipa...
1948Military
Because of World War II, civilian traffic was not permitted on the highway until 1948.
1953Architecture
The Haines - Fairbanks 626 mile long 8" petroleum products pipeline was constructed during the period 1953–55.
1957History
In the 1920s, it was improved further and made navigable by automobiles, but it was not paved until 1957.
1960Military
Ladd became Fort Wainwright in 1960; the post was annexed into Fairbanks city limits during the 1980s.
1963Government
==== Borough ====
The Fairbanks North Star Borough, created by the Alaska Legislature under the Mandatory Borough Act of 1963, was incorporated on January 1, 1964.
1964History
With the establishment of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 1964, the city became borough seat.
1967Disaster
On August 14, 1967, after record rainfall upstream, the Chena began to surge over its banks, flooding almost the entire town of Fairbanks overnight.
1968Economy
After the discovery of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field in 1968, the city became a supply point for the oil field, as well as for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
1971Architecture
To improve logistics in Fairbanks during construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the George Parks Highway was built between Fairbanks and Palmer in 1971.
1974Sports
Prior to the formation of the Ice Dogs, the Fairbanks Gold Kings was formed as a league team by the Teamsters Local 959 in 1974.
1975Military
The warmest month has been July 1975 with a monthly mean of 68.4 °F (20.2 °C) and the coldest January 1906 which averaged −36.4 °F (−38.0 °C).
1977Infrastructure
== Infrastructure ==
=== Transportation ===
==== Bus ====
Public transportation has been provided by the Metropolitan Area Commuter System, an agency of the borough governme...
1978Government
Dick Randolph, who had previously served two terms in the Alaska House as a Republican, was first elected as a Libertarian in 1978 and re-elected in 1980.
1980Government
Ken Fanning was also elected to the House as a Libertarian in 1980.
1981Military
For example, in the record warm January 1981, Fairbanks's average maximum temperature was 28.7 °F (−1.8 °C) and 15 days that month had high temperatures above freezing.
1982Government
In the 1982 elections, Randolph ran unsuccessfully as the LP's nominee for Governor of Alaska, while Fanning lost re-election to the House to Democrat Niilo Koponen, following r...
1988History
Epicenter Press, 1988.
1990History
The snowiest season on record lasted from July 1990 to June 1991 with a snowfall of 147.3 inches (3.74 m), while the least snowy period recorded was from July 1918 to June 1919 ...
1991History
That September was also one of the snowiest on record, as 24 inches (61 cm) fell, compared to the 1991-2020 median of only a trace during the month.
1992History
On September 13, 1992, 8 inches (20 cm) of snow fell in the city, bending trees still laden with fall leaves.
1995History
Between 1995 and 2008, inclusive, Fairbanks failed to record a temperature of 90 °F or 32 °C.
1997Government
In 1997, GVEA purchased the electric distribution system from FMUS.
1998Sports
The team took on a life of its own beyond local league play, and played out of the Big Dipper for many years until moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado and becoming the Colorado...
1999Education
University of Alaska Press, 1999.
2003Sports
Fairbanks has also held skiing events that include the 2003 Junior Olympic Cross Country Ski Championship and the 2008 and 2009 U.S.
2005Architecture
In May 2005, the Alaska Railroad opened a new terminal northwest of downtown, and that terminal is in operation today.
2007History
The median income for a household between 2007 and 2011 was $55,409.
2008History
Few have been repaved since that time; a 2008 survey of city streets indicated the average age of a street in Fairbanks was 31 years.
2010History
Fairbanks similarly has a rate of rape and sexual assault three times the national average, and in 2010 was ranked the third most dangerous U.S.
2014Civil Rights
The city hosted the 2014 Arctic Winter Games from March 15–22, 2014.
2019Military
The warmest calendar year in Fairbanks was 2019, when the average annual temperature was 32.5 °F (0.3 °C), while the coldest was 1956 with an annual mean temperature of 21.3 °F ...
2020Sports
=== Federal ===
The district centered on downtown Fairbanks typically votes for Republican candidates for president, although Joe Biden nearly won it in 2020.
2022History
On average, temperatures reach −40 °F (−40 °C) and 80 °F (27 °C) on 7.0 and 13 days annually, respectively, and the last winter that failed to reach the former mark was that of ...