1. On December 10, 1846, the Battle of El Brazito took place during the Mexican-American War. American forces led by General Stephen W. Kearny defeated a group of Mexican troops, securing a supply route to Santa Fe.

2. On December 10, 1896, the town of Clovis was officially incorporated in eastern New Mexico. It was named after Clovis, a legendary Frankish king, and became a major hub for shipping cattle and other goods by railroad.

3. December 10, 1935, marked the birth of Richard E. Smalley in Akron, Ohio. Smalley later moved to New Mexico and co-discovered the buckminsterfullerene molecule (also known as "buckyballs") at Rice University in 1985, earning him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996.

4. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque opened its doors to the public on December 10, 1986. It features exhibits on the state's unique geology, paleontology, and astronomy.

5. December 10, 2014, marked the day same-sex marriage became legal in New Mexico. The state had previously recognized domestic partnerships, but a state court ruling extended full marriage rights to LGBTQ couples.