1. On April 9, 1860, the first Pony Express mail service arrived in Nebraska. The service allowed mail to be delivered from Missouri to California in just 10 days, compared to the previous three weeks it took by traditional mail. The relay system used fresh horses and riders along the route, making it a groundbreaking achievement in communication and transportation.

2. In 1933, Nebraska became the first state to pay unemployment benefits as part of the New Deal. The program was designed to provide financial assistance to workers who lost their jobs due to the Great Depression. Since then, unemployment benefits have become a standard part of American social safety net programs.

3. On April 9, 1975, Richard Myers, a native of Kansas and graduate of Kansas State University, flew his first mission as a pilot in Vietnam. Myers went on to become a four-star general in the United States Air Force and served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2005.

4. In 1996, the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team held their annual spring game on April 9. The game set a new national record for attendance at a spring scrimmage, with 80,149 fans filling Memorial Stadium. The team went on to win the national championship that fall.

5. On April 9, 2015, Nebraska officially became the 19th state to legalize same-sex marriage. The decision was made by a federal judge who ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The ruling was a major victory for LGBTQ+ rights in Nebraska and across the country.