1. The Wyoming State Penitentiary opened on October 5, 1901, in Rawlins, Wyoming. It was one of the first maximum-security prisons built in the United States.

2. On October 5, 1923, the first radio station in Wyoming, KDAV (later known as KTWO), went on the air in Casper. Today, the station broadcasts news, talk, and country music.

3. In 1936, the first-ever professional rodeo was held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on October 5. The event drew thousands of spectators and featured top cowboys and cowgirls from around the country.

4. In 1997, Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was brutally beaten and left for dead in Laramie, Wyoming, on October 5. The murder sparked national discussions about hate crimes and gay rights, and led to the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.

5. On October 5, 2016, a federal judge ruled that the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear population would remain protected under the Endangered Species Act. The decision was a victory for environmentalists who argue that the bears need to be protected from trophy hunting, disease, and habitat loss.