1. On February 12, 1816, the Iowa Territory, which encompassed present-day Iowa and parts of several surrounding states, was first established by an act of Congress. The territory was established as part of the larger effort to expand American settlement westward, and was an important step towards statehood for Iowa.

2. February 12, 1864 saw the Battle of Middle Creek, which was fought in the eastern part of the state during the Civil War. The battle was part of a larger campaign by Union forces to gain control of eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, and ended in a Union victory.

3. In 1873, the Iowa State Capitol was completed on February 12. The building, which is located in Des Moines, is a notable example of 19th century architecture and features a large gold dome that is visible from miles around.

4. On February 12, 1895, the Iowa State Normal School, which later became the University of Northern Iowa, was established. The school was founded as a teacher training institution, and has since grown to become a comprehensive university that offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

5. In 1997, Iowa native and astronaut Peggy Whitson made her first trip to space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Whitson, who was born in Mount Ayr, Iowa, went on to make two more trips to space and spent a total of 665 days in orbit over the course of her career.