June 25

Gavriil Pribylov was a fur trader and seaman employed by Russian merchant companies seeking new sources of sea otter pelts. On June 25, 1786, sailing with his crew in search of breeding grounds, he came upon St. George Island in what is now Alaska. This discovery marked the first recorded European sighting of the Pribilof Islands. The islands proved rich in fur-bearing animals, triggering an economic boom in the Russian fur trade. Pribylov’s journals detail interactions with Indigenous Aleut communities and describe the island’s harsh but resourceful environment. The discovery played a critical role in Russian expansion across the North Pacific and shaped early Alaskan colonial history.