1. On September 24, 1598, Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate established the first permanent European settlement in present-day New Mexico, naming it San Juan de los Caballeros. This marked the beginning of Spanish colonization in the area.

2. On September 24, 1821, New Mexico officially became a part of Mexico when it gained independence from Spain. The territory would remain under Mexican control until the Mexican-American War in 1848, when it was ceded to the United States.

3. In 1862, during the Civil War, the Confederate Army under General Henry Hopkins Sibley attempted to invade New Mexico from Texas. On September 24 of that year, they were defeated by Union troops at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, effectively ending the Confederate presence in the territory.

4. On September 24, 1979, an underground nuclear explosion at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico caused a transport shaft to collapse, releasing radioactive contamination. This incident led to the shutdown and cleanup of the facility, which resumed operations in 1999.

5. September 24 is also celebrated annually in New Mexico as National Pecan Cookie Day, in honor of the state's bountiful pecan harvest. New Mexico is the largest pecan-producing state in the U.S., and pecans are a popular ingredient in many traditional local dishes and desserts.