1. On April 17, 1909, the University of Nebraska won its first track and field championship at the Missouri Valley Conference meet in Lawrence, Kansas. The team was led by future Olympian and Nebraska sports legend, Guy Reed.

2. Nebraska native, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, was born on April 17, 1846 in Le Claire, Iowa. He later moved to Nebraska where he worked as a buffalo hunter and eventually became a famous showman, known for his Wild West shows.

3. The Nebraska State Capitol building was dedicated on April 17, 1932. The building, designed by architect Bertram Goodhue, is a notable example of Art Deco architecture and stands as a symbol of Nebraska's state government.

4. On April 17, 1860, the first Pony Express rider arrived in Sacramento, California after traveling 1,966 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri. The Pony Express, which included a stop in Gothenburg, Nebraska, was a fast mail service that helped connect the East and West coasts of the United States.

5. Hall of Fame baseball player and Nebraska native, Grover Cleveland Alexander, made his major league debut on April 17, 1911 as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Alexander went on to have a legendary career and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.