1. In 1805, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made their first contact with a group of Salish Indians at a campsite near present-day Lolo, Montana. The Salish were wary at first, but after sharing food and gifts, they established a friendship with the explorers.

2. On May 25, 1910, the Diamond Lumber Company mill in Great Falls, Montana, which had been operating since 1890, was destroyed in a massive fire. The blaze caused an estimated $500,000 in damage and left hundreds of employees out of work.

3. In 1937, the Montana State Prison officially opened in Deer Lodge, Montana. The prison, which was built to replace the overcrowded and outdated prison in the state capital of Helena, has housed some of Montana's most notorious criminals, including the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski.

4. On May 25, 1980, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit the Yellowstone National Park area. Although the quake was relatively small, it caused rockslides and avalanches in the park, and served as a reminder of the region's active geologic activity.

5. In 2006, Montana became the first state to elect a woman to the U.S. Senate without first appointing her to the position. Democrat Jon Tester defeated Republican incumbent Conrad Burns in a closely contested race that lasted well into the night of November 7th. Tester went on to serve two terms in the Senate.