1. In 1860, the first Pony Express riders arrived in Sacramento, California, after leaving St. Joseph, Missouri, on March 14. The route went through Nebraska, and the riders would exchange their horses at relay stations set up across the state. This was a significant moment in the history of communication and transportation in Nebraska and the western United States.

2. In 1864, the territorial legislature of Nebraska passed a bill to establish the first state institution for higher education, the University of Nebraska. This institution would later become the flagship university of the state and hold a prominent place in the history of education in the United States.

3. In 1882, the infamous outlaw Jesse James was killed in St. Joseph, Missouri, which is just across the border from Nebraska. James had been on the run for years from law enforcement agencies across the country, and his death marked the end of an era of American history.

4. In 1936, the legendary baseball player and civil rights activist Jackie Robinson played his first professional baseball game in Omaha, Nebraska. Robinson was playing for the Montreal Royals, a minor league team, and this game was an early test of his skills against the best players of his time.

5. In 1989, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case, DeShaney v. Winnebago County, that the government has no constitutional duty to protect citizens from harm caused by private individuals. The case stemmed from an incident in Nebraska in which a young boy was severely abused by his father and the child welfare agency failed to intervene effectively. This ruling has had far-reaching implications for American law and public policy.