1. On December 8, 1863, the National Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans Home was established in Xenia, Ohio. The home provided education, training, and care for the children of soldiers and sailors who died during the American Civil War.

2. In 1926, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, was born in Cambridge, Ohio. Glenn would later go on to serve as a US Senator for the state of Ohio.

3. On December 8, 1927, the first transatlantic telephone call was made from New York City to London by Ohio-based telecommunication company, AT&T. The historic call lasted a little over three minutes and was considered a major milestone in modern communication.

4. In 1987, a gas explosion at the East Ohio Gas Co. plant in Cleveland resulted in over 30 injuries and caused widespread damage to nearby buildings. The incident remains one of the worst industrial accidents in Ohio's history.

5. Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located near Dayton, played a key role in the investigation of the Roswell UFO incident in 1947. The base's personnel were responsible for analyzing debris found at the crash site, and their findings continue to be the subject of much debate and speculation.