1. In 1890, the University of Wyoming was established in Laramie. It was the first university in the Wyoming territory and is now the state's flagship institution.

2. On December 28, 1904, a group of six coal miners were killed in a mine explosion in Rock Springs. The disaster was a tragic reminder of the dangers involved in Wyoming's mining industry.

3. Wyoming became the 44th state in the union on July 10, 1890, but the state did not officially recognize December 28 as a holiday until 1895. The day marks the anniversary of the state's admission to the union.

4. In 1922, Wyoming native Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state. She was sworn in on January 5, 1925, but her election was not officially certified until December 28, 1924.

5. The infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy was born in Beaver, Utah, on April 13, 1866, but he spent much of his life in Wyoming. On December 28, 1896, Cassidy and his infamous gang, the Wild Bunch, robbed a bank in Montpelier, Idaho, making off with more than $16,000.