1. On October 30, 1921, the iconic American author and poet Carl Sandburg visited Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and delivered a lecture on his life and works at the Coe College. Sandburg was known for his works on the American Midwestern culture and lifestyle, and his visit to Cedar Rapids was a memorable event for the literary community in Iowa at the time.

2. In 1943, the USS Iowa, a battleship commissioned for the United States Navy, was launched in New York City at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The ship was named after the state of Iowa and was one of the most powerful ships in the world during its time. It served in World War II and the Korean War and was eventually decommissioned in 1990.

3. On October 30, 1991, the governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad, signed a law that made Iowa the first state in the United States to adopt a waiting period for handgun purchases. The law required that anyone buying a handgun from a licensed dealer would have to wait three days to take possession of it, giving law enforcement officials a chance to conduct background checks and ensure that the buyer was not a threat to public safety.

4. In 2015, the University of Iowa announced that it had acquired the collection of Arthur and Miriam Canter, a prominent couple of art collectors who had amassed over 1,500 works of art over their lifetime. The collection included paintings, sculptures, and other pieces from various artists, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Henri Matisse.

5. On October 30, 2020, the U.S. presidential campaign of Joe Biden held a drive-in rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with the attendance of Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. The event aimed to rally and mobilize the voters in Iowa, which was considered a swing state in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.