1. In 1930, Nebraska native Harold Edgerton developed the stroboscope, a device that produces intense and short bursts of light, which revolutionized the way scientists study motion and developed the field of high-speed photography.
2. On January 27, 1909, the Nebraska State Capitol building was completed and dedicated. It remains the tallest building in Lincoln and one of the few state capitol buildings with a skyscraper design.
3. In 1973, the University of Nebraska at Omaha began offering the first-ever online course in higher education, making it a forefront in the innovative field of distance education.
4. In 1880, Nebraska abolished the death penalty, becoming the first state in the country to do so. The state later reinstated the death penalty in 1973 but abolished it again in 2015.
5. On January 27, 1947, the University of Nebraska's basketball team defeated Kansas State 63-57. This marked the beginning of a 26-game winning streak, known as the "Fabulous Five" era, which led to the team's first Big Seven title and a trip to the NCAA Final Four.