1. On July 8, 1867, the U.S. Congress passed an act creating the Territory of Wyoming. This established the first government of Wyoming and paved the way for statehood in 1890.

2. In 1876, on July 8th, General George Crook and his troops were ambushed by the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes at the Battle of Rosebud Creek. Although the U.S. army was ultimately forced to retreat, the battle marked a turning point in the conflict and set the stage for the eventual defeat of the Native American forces.

3. On July 8, 1899, Wyoming State Penitentiary opened in Rawlins, Wyoming. The maximum-security prison has since become infamous for its harsh conditions and brutal treatment of inmates.

4. In 1918, on July 8th, a massive forest fire broke out in the Medicine Bow National Forest. The blaze destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of land and killed several firefighters who were attempting to put it out.

5. On July 8, 1985, the Wyoming Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of convicted murderer Mark Hopkinson. Hopkinson had been found guilty of killing six members of a family in a gruesome and brutal crime that shocked the state. The case inspired a book and several documentaries, making it one of the most notorious crimes in Wyoming's history.