1. The Colorado Gold Rush began on December 18, 1858, when a group of prospectors led by William Green Russell discovered gold in the South Platte River basin near present-day Denver.

2. On December 18, 1875, Clara Brown, a former slave who became known as the "Angel of the Rockies," arrived in Central City, Colorado, where she would spend the rest of her life helping the community and fellow African Americans.

3. The famous Pueblo Revolt of 1680, in which Native American tribes overthrew Spanish colonists in what is now New Mexico, began on December 18, marking an important moment in the history of the American Southwest.

4. On December 18, 1917, the United States Department of the Interior established the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, protecting over 400 square miles of mountain wilderness for future generations.

5. In 1987, on December 18, a plane crash in Durango, Colorado killed singer and songwriter Rick Nelson along with his band members during a tour. Nelson, famous for hits such as "Garden Party" and "Travelin' Man," had just performed at a concert in Guntersville, Alabama.