1. In 1863, Wisconsin Governor Edward Salomon signed a bill that allowed African American men to enlist in Wisconsin's volunteer regiments during the Civil War. This decision made Wisconsin one of the first states to accept African American soldiers.

2. February 9, 1870, marks the day that Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to ratify the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted African American men the right to vote.

3. Wisconsin native Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the beloved "Little House on the Prairie" series, was born on February 9, 1867, in Pepin, Wisconsin.

4. On February 9, 1981, snowmobile racer Jacques Villeneuve Sr. set a new world speed record in the Eagle River World Championship, reaching a speed of 136.386 mph.

5. In a tragic event on February 9, 1996, a school bus carrying students from the Oconomowoc High School band crashed on a trip to a band competition in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Two students were killed in the accident, and several others were injured.