1. In 1862, the Iowa 7th Volunteer Infantry Regiment was mustered in for service during the American Civil War. The regiment saw action in several battles, including the Siege of Vicksburg.

2. On January 17, 1893, the Iowa State Capitol building was officially dedicated in Des Moines. The building is a beautiful example of neoclassical architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

3. In 1915, the Iowa State Normal School (now University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls suffered a devastating fire. The blaze destroyed the main building, but no one was injured. The school was rebuilt and continued to grow in the years that followed.

4. On this day in 1929, the Earlham Savings Bank in Earlham, Iowa was robbed of $63,000 by a group of bandits. The heist was one of the largest in the state's history at the time and was never fully solved.

5. In 1961, the Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 67-64 in a thrilling game that went into double overtime. The victory helped propel the Cyclones to a successful season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.