On this day an expedition, led by Aleksei Chirikov and Vitus Bering, became the first Europeans to reach Alaska. (Bering would give his name to the narrow...
$7 million would have been a lot of dough for Alexsei, but getting the entire territory of Alaska for that price was a good move by Wm. Seward. And Tsar Alexander II was happy to ensure that Britain didn't get it!