1. On February 28, 1862, Union troops led by General Edward Canby defeated Confederate forces in the Battle of Valverde, near present-day Socorro. This was a major victory for the Union in the New Mexico Territory during the American Civil War.

2. The first state park in New Mexico, Elephant Butte State Park, was established on February 28, 1950. The park is named for Elephant Butte, a prominent rock formation that resembles the shape of an elephant lying down.

3. A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck near Roswell, New Mexico on February 28, 2010. Although the earthquake caused no major damage or injuries, it was felt by residents across southeastern New Mexico.

4. On February 28, 1922, the famous architect John Gaw Meem arrived in Santa Fe for the first time to begin his career designing buildings in the distinctive Pueblo Revival style. Meem would go on to design many iconic buildings in Santa Fe and around New Mexico.

5. In 1863, the U.S. Congress passed the Enabling Act, which granted statehood to New Mexico and Arizona. However, New Mexico was the first to act on the opportunity, drafting a state constitution and applying for statehood on February 28 of that year. Arizona would not become a state until 1912.