1. On August 4, 1912, the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico was incorporated. The city got its name from its proximity to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which was discovered in 1898.

2. On August 4, 1945, a group of scientists gathered at a remote site in the Jornada del Muerto desert in southern New Mexico to witness the first atomic bomb test, code named Trinity. The successful test led to the use of atomic bombs against Japan later that month.

3. August 4, 1960 marked the opening of the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The coliseum was named after businessman and philanthropist Tom Tingley, who donated the land for the venue.

4. On August 4, 1976, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake shook the town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, causing some damage to buildings and infrastructure but no fatalities. The earthquake was caused by the Rio Grande Rift, a geological fault line running through the region.

5. August 4, 2006 saw the opening of the Spaceport America runway in Sierra County, New Mexico. The runway was built to support commercial spaceflight and has been used by companies such as Virgin Galactic and SpaceX for test flights.