1. In 1864, gold was discovered in the Boise Basin, sparking a rush of miners to the area. The town of Idaho City was founded in August of that year and became the largest settlement in Idaho Territory, with a population of over 6,000 by 1866.

2. On July 8, 1889, Idaho was admitted as the 43rd state in the Union. The state had been part of the Oregon Territory, then became a separate territory in 1863. It took over 25 years for Idaho to gain statehood, as there were disputes over boundaries and political divisions.

3. In 1910, the Great Fire of 1910 (also known as the Big Blowup) swept through Idaho and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The fire burned over 3 million acres and killed 87 people, including 78 firefighters. The tragedy resulted in changes to forest fire management and prevention practices.

4. On July 8, 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established in Idaho. The CCC was a New Deal program that employed young men from around the country to perform conservation work, such as building trails, planting trees, and fighting forest fires. The CCC employed over 25,000 men in Idaho during its existence.

5. In 1987, the Teton Dam in eastern Idaho failed, releasing a massive flood that caused over $2 billion in damage and claimed 11 lives. The dam had been completed in 1976 and was designed to irrigate nearby farmland, but its construction and maintenance were flawed. The disaster led to major improvements in dam safety and management practices.