Vitus Johassen Bering
Vitus Bering was an explorer. He was born in Denmark, enlisted in the Russian navy in 1703. The rest of his life he served for Russia and he only visited his home once in 1715. Bering reached the strait named after him. He went on a journey and he found the American coast, seeing Mount Saint Elias, but he died on the way back to the mainland.
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John Muir
When John Muir was eleven, his family left his home to go to Wisconsin. As a young man, he believed he was enchanted by the forests he said. He wanted to share his love with nature through his explorations. Alaska's wilderness held a very special place for Muir. Muir's Glacier carries his name today.
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Robert William Service
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Aleksandr Baronov
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Robert Service wrote two of the most famous poems about Alaska. They are "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew. Raised in Scotland, Robert moved to Canada in 1844. The experiences he had in the Yukon provided inspiration for his first collection of poem, Songs of a Sourdough. HIs popular poetry captured the spirit of the people who loved life in Alaska.
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Aleksandr turned his fortunes around by moving to Alaska. In Alaska, Baronov established several profitable fur trading posts. In 1799, Aleksandr got called the manager of the Russian American Company. This place provided him to govern all Russia activities in North America. He supported educational opportunities for Native Alaskans.
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