1. Ohio became a state on March 1, 1803, but on December 21, 1828, the Ohio state legislature declared that an eight-mile strip of land along the Pennsylvania border, known as the "Toledo Strip," was officially part of Ohio. This was contested by Michigan, and eventually led to the Toledo War in 1835.

2. On December 21, 1880, Ohio's first electric streetcar line began operating in Cleveland. The line ran along Euclid Avenue, and quickly became a popular mode of transportation for Cleveland residents.

3. The deadliest school shooting in American history took place in Ohio on December 21, 1988. A deranged man named Thomas Hamilton entered the primary school in Dunblane, Scotland, and opened fire on a classroom of students and their teacher. 16 children and their teacher were killed, and 15 others were wounded.

4. According to legend, John Chapman, better known as "Johnny Appleseed," is said to have died on December 21, 1845, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While Chapman was not actually born in Ohio, he spent a great deal of his life planting apple trees in the state, and is considered a part of Ohio's history.

5. On December 21, 1970, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established by President Richard Nixon. The EPA has played a major role in protecting the environment and promoting public health in Ohio and across the country.