1. On April 28, 1853, the Oregon State Legislature passed a bill creating a state penitentiary in Salem, Oregon. The first convicts were transferred from the Oregon Territory's prison in Oregon City to the new facility in October of that year.

2. In 1949, a record-breaking heatwave hit Oregon on April 28th, with temperatures soaring to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some cities. The heat caused widespread power outages and bucket trucks were dispatched to restore service to affected areas.

3. On April 28, 1972, the Oregon Department of Transportation opened the Interstate 84 freeway, which connects Portland to the Idaho state line. The construction of the 370-mile-long highway took over 15 years to complete and included the construction of numerous bridges, tunnels, and viaducts.

4. In 1997, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber signed a bill into law on April 28th that legalized physician-assisted suicide. The law allows terminally ill patients to obtain a prescription for medications that would end their lives, making Oregon the first state in the US to legalize such a practice.

5. On April 28, 2015, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck near Springfield, Oregon, waking up residents in the middle of the night. Although the quake was relatively small, it was felt as far away as Portland and caused some structural damage in the affected area.