1. In 1910, the University of Iowa became the first state university in the country to establish a college of commerce. This allowed students to study principles of economics, accounting, and business administration at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

2. On June 25, 1919, Iowa adopted the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote nationwide. Many Iowa suffragettes played a prominent role in the movement, including Carrie Chapman Catt, who founded the League of Women Voters.

3. In 1973, the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in the case of Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion throughout the country. Though the decision was controversial nationwide, pro-choice activists in Iowa hailed it as a crucial victory for women's rights.

4. On June 25, 1994, Cedar Rapids native and former Iowa Hawkeye basketball player B.J. Armstrong helped the Chicago Bulls win their third consecutive NBA championship. Armstrong, who was Michael Jordan's teammate during the Bulls' legendary 1990s run, scored 12 points in the clinching Game 7 against the New York Knicks.

5. In 2008, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, making Iowa the fourth state in the country (after Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California) to legalize gay marriage. The decision sparked heated debate nationwide and continues to be a point of controversy in Iowa today.