1. The Wyoming State Penitentiary opened on October 8, 1893, in Rawlins. It was the first prison in Wyoming, and it housed both male and female prisoners.

2. On October 8, 1900, the town of Cheyenne experienced a devastating fire that destroyed many buildings in the downtown area. The fire started in a barn and quickly spread due to strong winds.

3. Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote on October 8, 1869. This was more than 50 years before the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted nationwide suffrage for women.

4. On October 8, 1976, the federally protected Fossil Butte National Monument was established near Kemmerer. The monument preserves a 50-million-year-old lakebed that contains thousands of fossils.

5. In 2006, former Wyoming Governor and U.S. Senator Clifford Hansen died on October 8 at the age of 97. Hansen was a prominent figure in Wyoming politics for decades and helped shape the state's energy policies.