1. In 1960, Omaha became the first city in the United States to hold a national political party convention in a fully air-conditioned facility, the Civic Auditorium. The Republican National Convention was held from July 25–28 of that year.
2. On February 4, 1948, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln registered its first African American student, Lucile M. Sutton. She went on to become a pioneering educator and writer in Nebraska.
3. The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team won its first-ever national championship on January 2, 1971, by defeating the Louisiana State University Tigers in the Orange Bowl. The team was led by legendary coach Bob Devaney and star players like Johnny Rodgers and Jerry Tagge.
4. Nebraska's state capitol building, located in Lincoln, is the second tallest state capitol in the United States, surpassed only by Louisiana's. It stands 400 feet tall and has a unique Art Deco design.
5. The small town of Valentine, located in north-central Nebraska, is known as the "Heart City" and hosts an annual Valentine's Day celebration that includes a parade, crowning of a king and queen, and a variety of other activities. The town also boasts a giant replica of a red heart that can be seen from miles away.