1. In 1832, the first wagon train to the Pacific Northwest left Independence, Missouri on July 20, beginning a journey that would result in the settlement of Oregon and the opening of the Oregon Trail.

2. On July 20, 1859, Oregon was officially admitted as the 33rd state of the United States, after a long struggle for statehood.

3. July 20, 1969, marked an historic event as Oregonian astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon.

4. On July 20, 1970, the Oregon Environmental Quality Act was signed into law, marking a milestone in the state’s efforts to protect the environment and natural resources.

5. In 2011, Oregon’s largest wildfire in decades began on July 20, as seasonally dry conditions fueled the blaze that would eventually burn over 100,000 acres of forest land.