1. On January 7, 1850, the U.S. Congress passed the Donation Land Claim Act, which granted free land to settlers in the Oregon Territory. This act helped spur the rapid settlement of Oregon and played a key role in the state's early development.

2. In 1927, the first transcontinental commercial flight stopped in Portland on January 7. The flight was operated by Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), which later became TWA. The stop in Portland was part of a pioneering effort to establish regular commercial air service across the United States.

3. On January 7, 1964, the Oregon State Legislature passed a bill making Oregon the first state in the nation to require a deposit on beverage containers. The law was aimed at reducing litter and promoting recycling, and it paved the way for similar laws in other states.

4. In 1985, the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team set an NBA record by making 23 three-point shots in a single game on January 7. The Blazers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 137-132 and cemented their place in NBA history.

5. On January 7, 1991, the Oregon Health Plan was launched, providing health care coverage to thousands of low-income Oregonians. The program was innovative for its time, using a system of prioritization to allocate scarce resources and improve access to care for those most in need.