1. In 1837, Iowa became the 29th state to join the United States. Its capital city, Des Moines, was not established until 1857.
2. On November 26, 1862, the Santee Sioux Indian tribe in Minnesota attacked white settlers in what became known as the Sioux Uprising. This conflict lasted for several months and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Native Americans and white settlers. Some Santee Sioux were transported to trials in Davenport, Iowa, where several were sentenced to death and executed.
3. In 1939, Iowa began its annual tradition of hosting the famous Iowa vs. Iowa State football game, known as the Cy-Hawk game. The game is played on a rotating basis between the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, and is a highly anticipated event for both schools and their fans.
4. On November 26, 1953, the University of Iowa announced that it had hired Forest Evashevski as its new head football coach. Evashevski went on to lead the Hawkeyes to two Big Ten championships and a Rose Bowl victory, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
5. In 2017, an Iowa high school football team made history on November 26 by winning its eighth consecutive state championship. The Dowling Catholic Maroons, based in West Des Moines, set a new record for consecutive state titles in Iowa high school football.