1. In 1846, a group of Mormon pioneers arrived in Council Bluffs, Iowa, after being forced out of their settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois. They would eventually continue their westward journey to Utah to establish a new home for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

2. On April 27, 1861, the Iowa State Legislature voted to raise and equip a regiment of troops to support the Union in the upcoming Civil War. This was the first regiment raised in the state and was later known as the 1st Iowa Volunteer Infantry.

3. The world-renowned Iowa State Fair began on April 27, 1854, with an attendance of approximately 7,000 people. Today, the fair attracts over one million visitors each year and is a showcase of Iowa's agricultural heritage.

4. In 1927, the town of Le Mars, Iowa, became the ice cream capital of the world when the first plants of the Wells Enterprises ice cream company opened. Today, the town produces over 5 million gallons of ice cream each year.

5. In 1973, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes won the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship on April 27, marking the first national championship in any sport in the university's history. The Hawkeyes have since won 24 national championships in gymnastics.