1. In 1866, Wyoming pioneer William B. Thompson was born in Illinois. He went on to become a prominent attorney and politician in Wyoming, serving as a Democratic Congressman from 1891 to 1895.

2. On July 17, 1918, the town of Jackson was nearly destroyed by a massive forest fire that burned over 28,000 acres. The fire caused extensive damage to the town and surrounding areas, but miraculously, no lives were lost.

3. In 1959, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the F.E. Warren Air Force Base Missile Training Center near Cheyenne. The base, which is named after Civil War General Francis E. Warren, was established in 1867 and is home to the 90th Missile Wing of the United States Air Force.

4. The Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins was the site of a major prison riot on July 17, 1985. The riot, which lasted for several hours, resulted in the deaths of two inmates and the destruction of much of the prison's infrastructure.

5. On July 17, 2006, the historic Ames Monument, located near Laramie, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The monument, which was built in 1881 in honor of Union Pacific Railroad financiers Oliver and Oakes Ames, is a popular tourist attraction in southeastern Wyoming.