1. In 1864, the Second Battle of Blue Springs took place in southeastern Nebraska. A Confederate force led by Major General Sterling Price clashed with Union troops under Major General Alfred Pleasonton. The battle resulted in a Union victory and helped secure Nebraska's status as a Union state during the Civil War.

2. On July 30, 1918, Nebraska-born stunt pilot Katherine Stinson became the first female pilot to perform a loop-the-loop maneuver in public. She executed the stunt at an airshow in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and went on to perform many other daring aerial feats throughout her career.

3. In 1935, the Cornhusker State Games were established in Lincoln as a grassroots Olympic-style competition for Nebraska athletes of all ages and abilities. Today, the Games feature more than 70 sports and attract more than 10,000 participants each year.

4. July 30, 1965, marked the opening of the landmark Lied Center for Performing Arts on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. Named for philanthropist Ernst F. Lied, the center features a 2,200-seat concert hall and hosts a wide array of cultural events each year.

5. In 1989, a devastating tornado struck the town of Grand Island, Nebraska, killing five people and causing millions of dollars in damage. The tornado, which was one of the most powerful ever recorded in Nebraska, had wind speeds of up to 300 miles per hour and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.