10 YEARS AGO

Nov. 8, 1999 — Professional pilots in Alaska are more than four times as likely to die in a crash than their Lower 48 counterparts, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Another way of looking at it: Alaska professional pilots, over a 30-year career, face an 11 percent chance of dying. Professional pilots in the 49 other states face a 2.5 percent chance. Both figures are far above the overall fatality rate for all U.S. workers, which is 0.14 percent, the institute said.

25 YEARS AGO

Nov. 8, 1984 — Longtime Tanana Valley Fair manager Janet Baird was fired Wednesday night.

The fair’s nine-member board of directors unanimously voted to fire Baird, effective immediately, during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday night. ... Baird has been manager of the Tanana Valley Fair for 20 years.

50 YEARS AGO

Nov. 8, 1959 — Light snow in the Fairbanks vicinity today has caused warmer temperatures which are expected to remain until Tuesday or Wednesday, according to reports from the weather bureau this morning. ... The low last night was 8 above, while yesterday’s high was 23. Today’s predicted high is 28, and temperatures are expected to fall to around zero tonight.

75 YEARS AGO

Nov. 8, 1934 — The college is becoming “Eskimo conscious” since the return of the St. Lawrence Island Archaeological Expedition. When conversation lags in the dormitory dining room, one of the “Islanders” can usually liven it up by telling how the Eskimos live. The most natural dinner topic is that of food, but whoever brought up the subject of Eskimo food habits may have regretted it before the “Islander” finished.

100 YEARS AGO

Nov. 8, 1909 — After being closed for several months, the George Thomas Memorial Library reopened this morning. The furnace has been installed and the library was comfortably heated today.

Many patronized the reading and reference room and it is expected that the circulation department will receive increased patronage.