1. In 1893, the Wyoming State penitentiary opened in Rawlins. It was the first state prison in Wyoming and housed both male and female inmates.

2. In 1910, construction on the Buffalo Bill Dam was completed. This dam created the Shoshone Reservoir, which provided irrigation water for thousands of acres of farmland in Wyoming.

3. In 1918, the deadliest train derailment in Wyoming's history occurred near Rock Springs. A Union Pacific train carrying soldiers and supplies derailed, killing 30 people and injuring many more.

4. In 1955, the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center was established. This archive contains over 90,000 cubic feet of historical documents and artifacts from Wyoming and around the world.

5. In 1998, Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left for dead in Laramie, sparking national conversation and activism around hate crimes and LGBTQ+ rights. Shepard died several days later, and his death continues to be remembered and mourned in Wyoming and beyond.