1. In 1843, the United States Army established Fort Marcy near Santa Fe to protect settlers from Native American attacks during the Mexican-American War. The fort was named after William L. Marcy, the U.S. Secretary of War at the time.

2. On April 24, 1862, Union forces under General Edward R.S. Canby and Colonel John P. Slough defeated Confederate troops led by General Henry Sibley at the Battle of Valverde in Socorro County. This was the first major battle of the Civil War in the Western theater.

3. The New Mexico State Fairgrounds officially opened on April 24, 1938. It has since become one of the largest events in the state, with over 500,000 attendees each year.

4. On April 24, 1955, the first peacetime use of atomic energy for a commercial purpose occurred in Hobbs, New Mexico. Oil well drilling operations used a small nuclear device to fracture rock and improve oil production.

5. The largest earthquake recorded in New Mexico's history, with a magnitude of 6.5, occurred on April 24, 1974 near Elida. The quake caused damage to buildings and roads in several nearby towns, but no fatalities were reported.