1. In 1870, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, the first railroad to cross the Continental Divide in Colorado, was completed. This railroad played a crucial role in the growth of Colorado's mining industry and the state's overall economic development.
2. On October 27, 1904, the Colorado School of Mines football team defeated the University of Colorado football team in the first-ever "State Championship" game. The rivalry between these two schools continues to this day.
3. In 1961, the Denver Broncos played their first-ever home game at Bears Stadium (now Mile High Stadium). The Broncos lost to the Boston Patriots, but the game marked the beginning of a new era of professional football in Colorado.
4. On October 27, 1986, the Denver Nuggets basketball team retired the jersey of Alex English, one of the most iconic players in the history of the franchise. English played for the Nuggets from 1980 to 1990 and is still the team's all-time leading scorer.
5. In 1998, the Colorado Rockies baseball team hired Jim Leyland as their new manager. Leyland led the Rockies to their first-ever playoff appearance in 1995 and went on to manage several other successful teams in his career.