1. In 1934, the Arkansas State Board of Health began requiring all babies born in the state to have a blood test for syphilis. This was the first state-wide program of its kind in the country.

2. On September 17, 1835, James Sevier Conway was elected the first governor of Arkansas, just two years after the territory became a state.

3. In 1900, the Arkansas Industrial University (now the University of Arkansas) opened its doors to students. The university's first class consisted of just nine students.

4. On September 17, 1957, the Little Rock Nine attempted to enter Little Rock Central High School, sparking a national controversy that would eventually lead to the desegregation of schools across the country.

5. In 1918, the city of Fort Smith banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol, becoming one of the first cities in the country to do so. The ban remained in place until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.