1. On October 9, 1850, the United States Congress organized the Territory of New Mexico, which included the present-day states of Arizona and New Mexico.

2. In 1880, the first passenger train arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, signaling the arrival of the railroad in the region and opening up new opportunities for trade and commerce.

3. October 9, 1942, marked the beginning of the Manhattan Project, the top-secret research and development program that led to the creation of the first atomic bombs, which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945.

4. On October 9, 1967, New Mexico State University's student newspaper, The Round Up, published an article that exposed a student housing discrimination scandal. The article helped lead to the national Fair Housing Act of 1968.

5. In 1991, on October 9, the historic Santa Fe Opera House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The opera house has been a cultural icon of New Mexico since its opening in 1957, attracting renowned artists and performers from around the world.