February 2: Mushers and Sled Dogs Deliver Medicine to Nome, Alaska (1925)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who deliver medical supplies to those in need.
History Note
In January of 1925, the town of Nome, Alaska, faced an outbreak of diphtheria, a bacterial disease that is highly contagious. The local hospital did not have enough antitoxin medicine (also called “serum”) to treat the patients, and people were dying.
Because the winter weather made delivery of medicine by ship or plane impossible, the town called for help from teams of mushers and sled dogs. A train delivered the medicine to the town of Nenana, Alaska. Then a relay of sleds carried the medicine 674 miles to Nome.
The mushers and dogs traveled through dangerous conditions. Powerful winds made it hard to stay on course, and the temperature dipped to 60 degrees below zero. When the human mushers could not see their way, they trusted their dogs to stay on course and avoid obstacles.
After five days on the trail, the medicine arrived in Nome early on the morning of February 2. It was frozen, but none of the vials had broken on the journey. It began saving lives.
The Iditarod is one of several sled dog races that take place in Alaska each year. Part of its route is close to that followed by the teams who transported the medicine in 1925.
Leonhard Seppala was one of the men who transported the medicine. This photo shows him with some of his sled dogs.
Learn More
Visit Homeschool History for more resources about this event and about Alaska.
