The name change will be officially announced this Monday

Aug 31, 2015 15:47 GMT  ·  By

Over the weekend, on Sunday, the White House announced that Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, was to change name to Denali. 

Thus, it was on August 28 that, with the approval of US President Barack Obama, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell signed an order reinstating the peak's native Alaskan name.

“This Order changes the name of Mount McKinley in the State of Alaska to Denali,” reads the order issued by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

The name change will be officially announced this Monday

President Barack Obama is expected to officially announce the name change this Monday, August 31, during a 3-day visit to Alaska, NPR informs.

The peak will appear as Denali rather than Mount McKinley in the US Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System, which is its original Koyukon Athabascan name.

The peak has been known as Denali to people in Alaska for many years now, even though its official moniker was for decades Mount McKinley.

“Denali is a local Athabascan name for the mountain, which is the highest in North America and is located entirely within Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska,” explains Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in her order.

How the peak came to be known as Mount McKinley

It was in 1917 that the peak, which stands 20,237 feet (6,168 meters) above sea level, was named after William McKinley, the 25th President of the US. William McKinley was assassinated in September 1901, just 6 months into his second term.

Since President William McKinley never visited or had any historical connection to the mountain or at least to Alaska, the White House eventually agreed to change the peak's name to Denali, its rightful native Alaskan moniker.

Interestingly, it was back in March 1975 that the name change was first proposed by Jay S. Hammond, then Governor of the State of Alaska. Apparently, it took a while for the proposal to be given due consideration and approved.

William McKinley
William McKinley

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A view of Mount McKinley, now named Denali
William McKinley
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