1. June 12, 1887: The Dedication of the Iowa State Capitol Building

On June 12, 1887, the Iowa State Capitol Building was dedicated in a ceremony attended by thousands. The building, which cost over $2.9 million (equivalent to over $80 million today) to construct, was designed by renowned architect John Cochrane.

2. June 12, 1993: The Great Flood of 1993

June 12, 1993, marked the height of the Great Flood of 1993, one of the worst natural disasters in Iowa history. The flood, which affected a large portion of the Midwest, caused millions of dollars in damage and displaced thousands of people.

3. June 12, 1948: Senator John Culver's Birthday

On June 12, 1948, future senator John Culver was born in Rochester, Minnesota. Culver served in the Iowa State House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974. He served until 1981 and was known for his advocacy for environmental issues.

4. June 12, 1931: The Birth of Jim Nabors

Jim Nabors, best known for his role as Gomer Pyle on the television sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., was born in Sylacauga, Alabama, on June 12, 1931. Nabors resided in Honolulu, Hawaii, from the late-1970s until his death in 2017 at the age of 87.

5. June 12, 1844: The Birth of George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver, who would go on to become a groundbreaking scientist and inventor, was born into slavery on June 12, 1844, in Diamond, Missouri. He studied botany and agriculture at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) in Ames and went on to work at the Tuskegee Institute, where he made important contributions to agricultural science. Carver passed away in 1943 at the age of 78.