1. The infamous Villisca Axe Murders occurred on July 24, 1912, in Villisca, Iowa. Eight people, including six children, were bludgeoned to death with an axe in a small, rural farmhouse. The killer was never identified.

2. On July 24, 1890, the State of Iowa executed a woman named Susan Burch for the murder of her husband. Burch was the first woman to be executed in Iowa and one of only a handful of women to be executed in the United States.

3. The Iowa State Fair begins in Des Moines on July 24th every year. The fair has been held annually since 1854 and is one of the largest state fairs in the country, attracting more than a million visitors each year.

4. Iowa City was established on July 24, 1839, making it the first capital of the State of Iowa. The city served as the capital until 1857 when it was moved to Des Moines.

5. On July 24, 1986, a tornado swept through the town of Belmond, Iowa, destroying much of the town and killing six people. The tornado was part of a larger outbreak of tornadoes that struck the Midwest that day, causing widespread damage and killing 12 people overall.