1. On May 12, 1864, the legislature of the Nebraska Territory passed a bill to establish the first mental health institution in the state. Located in Lincoln, the hospital was called the Nebraska Hospital for the Insane, and it served patients from across the territory.

2. May 12, 1879, marked the opening of the Omaha Public Library. Housed in the city's former post office building, the library's first collection consisted of 4,000 books. Today, the Omaha Public Library system boasts 12 branches and a collection of over 800,000 items.

3. On May 12, 1888, the town of Sidney was incorporated in western Nebraska. Named for Sidney Dillon, a railroad executive who helped lay the tracks through the area, Sidney became a hub of agriculture and transportation in the region.

4. May 12, 1930, was the day that the iconic Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in Omaha was dedicated. Spanning the Missouri River, the bridge connects Nebraska and Iowa and is named for former Nebraska governor and senator Bob Kerrey.

5. May 12, 1967, was a historic day for Nebraska sports as the Cornhuskers won their first-ever conference championship in football. Led by legendary coach Bob Devaney, the team went on to win two national championships in the next five years.