1. Kentucky became the fifteenth state of the United States on June 1, 1792, but it wasn't until October 3 of the same year that its first governor, Isaac Shelby, was inaugurated. Shelby, a Revolutionary War hero, served as the state's chief executive for four non-consecutive terms and is widely regarded as one of Kentucky's most influential leaders.

2. In 1863, during the height of the Civil War, Confederate forces led by General John Hunt Morgan crossed into Kentucky and engaged Union troops in a series of skirmishes across the state. On October 3, Morgan's men attacked and captured the town of Tompkinsville, where they burned the courthouse and several other buildings before moving on to other targets.

3. In 1953, the University of Kentucky played its first football game under the lights at Stoll Field. The Wildcats defeated North Carolina State 27-6 in front of a crowd of more than 33,000 spectators. The game was also noteworthy for being the first time that Kentucky had ever played a night game at home.

4. On October 3, 1974, Frankfort native and country music legend Merle Travis died at the age of 65. Travis was best known for his fingerpicking style of guitar playing and his hit songs "Sixteen Tons" and "Divorce Me C.O.D." He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.

5. On October 3, 1992, the Kentucky Wildcats football team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history by defeating top-ranked and previously undefeated Alabama 17-7 in Tuscaloosa. It was the first time in twenty-five years that Kentucky had beaten the Crimson Tide and one of the signature wins of coach Bill Curry's tenure in Lexington.