1. On April 12, 1779, Daniel Boone, along with a group of about 30 men, established the first permanent settlement in Kentucky at present-day Boonesborough. Boone was a frontiersman and explorer who helped to open up Kentucky and other parts of the American West to settlement.

2. In 1861, on April 12th, Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, marking the start of the American Civil War. Although Kentucky was officially neutral during the war, many of its citizens fought on both sides.

3. On April 12, 1975, Kentucky's first black state senator, Georgia Davis Powers, was sworn in. Powers was an advocate for civil rights and worked for years as an organizer for the NAACP. She was elected to the Kentucky Senate in 1967, becoming the first African American woman elected to a state senate in the United States.

4. In 2006, on April 12th, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill recommending that the Kentucky Derby be named the official state horse race. The Derby, held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, is one of the most famous horse races in the world, attracting spectators from around the globe.

5. The Bluegrass State is also known for its culinary delights, and April 12th is a good day for foodies as well. National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day falls on this date, providing the perfect excuse to indulge in one of Kentucky's own variations on this classic comfort food. The Hot Brown, a sandwich created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville in the 1920s, features turkey, bacon, and Mornay sauce, and is often served on grilled bread.