1. On July 17, 1984, an article in the Albuquerque Journal reported that the New Mexico State Board of Education had eliminated mandatory Spanish classes for high school students. This decision sparked controversy and debate in the state's Hispanic community, who argued that the removal of Spanish education would harm their cultural identity and future job prospects.

2. Another major event in New Mexico's history occurred on July 17, 1945, when the first atomic bomb was detonated at the Trinity Site near Alamogordo. This marked the culmination of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret US government operation to develop nuclear weapons during World War II.

3. The New Mexico Current newspaper reported on July 17, 1866 that a group of Native American prisoners captured during the Navajo Wars were being held at a temporary detention center at Fort Stanton. Many of these prisoners would be later sent to Bosque Redondo, a controversial internment camp established by the US government in eastern New Mexico.

4. On July 17, 1877, the Las Vegas Daily Gazette reported that a deadly gunfight had occurred in the town of Cimarron, where two men were killed and several others injured in a dispute over a gambling debt. The event highlighted the violence and lawlessness that was common in the American Southwest during the late 19th century.

5. Finally, on July 17, 1934, the Albuquerque Journal reported on a growing trend in New Mexico - the construction of adobe homes. The article noted that adobe, a building material made from mud and straw, was durable, energy-efficient, and well-suited to the region's hot and dry climate. Today, adobe architecture remains an important part of New Mexico's cultural heritage and identity.