1. On April 8, 1862, the Battle of Peralta was fought in Valencia County during the Civil War. Confederate troops under General Henry Hopkins Sibley attacked Union forces but were ultimately defeated.

2. The founding of the town of Tucumcari in Quay County occurred on April 8, 1901, during a land sale by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Today, Tucumcari is known for its Route 66 nostalgia and historic architecture.

3. On April 8, 1940, the first atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity Site in Socorro County. The test marked a major milestone in the development of nuclear weapons and had far-reaching implications for the world.

4. In 1978, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled on a case known as State v. Perez, which expanded the state's definition of self-defense for crimes committed against women who had been abused by their partners. The ruling set an important precedent for domestic violence cases.

5. On April 8, 2000, astronaut James Voss became the first New Mexican to travel to space. Voss, who was born in Cordova, spent six months aboard the International Space Station, conducting experiments and performing maintenance tasks.