1. On February 12, 1823, the first American trader reached Santa Fe, New Mexico. William Becknell led a group of traders from Missouri to Santa Fe, marking the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, a historic trade route between Missouri and Mexico.

2. In 1867, the New Mexico territorial legislature passed a bill approving the creation of the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) in Roswell. The NMMI is a state-supported co-educational college preparatory high school and junior college.

3. On February 12, 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state of the United States. This followed years of conflict and negotiations with Congress over statehood, as well as efforts by New Mexico leaders to establish a stable and viable government.

4. In 1971, a devastating flash flood hit the town of Canyoncito in northern New Mexico. The flood, which was triggered by heavy rain and snowmelt, destroyed homes, bridges, and roads, and killed many residents. It remains one of the worst natural disasters in New Mexico history.

5. On February 12, 2021, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed landmark legislation legalizing recreational cannabis use in the state. The law, which goes into effect in April 2021, allows adults 21 and older to possess and use up to 2 ounces of cannabis and grow up to six plants at home. New Mexico is now the 17th state in the US to legalize recreational marijuana.