1. In 1862, during the Civil War, Confederate forces led by Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley were defeated in the Battle of Peralta by Union soldiers led by Col. Edward Canby. This was a significant victory for the Union, as it allowed them to secure the Rio Grande and control the territory.

2. In 1909, the first commercial airplane flight in New Mexico took place. The flight, piloted by Earle Ovington, took off from the Albuquerque Fair Grounds and circled over the city for about 20 minutes.

3. In 1964, the University of New Mexico held its first Earth Day celebration, marking the beginning of the modern environmental movement. The event included speeches by environmental activists and a display of alternative energy sources.

4. In 1977, the New Mexico State Penitentiary Riot began. The riot lasted for 36 hours and resulted in the deaths of 33 inmates and the injury of more than 200 others. The riot was sparked by poor living conditions and overcrowding in the prison.

5. In 2011, the Las Conchas Fire, one of the largest wildfires in New Mexico history, began. The fire burned more than 150,000 acres and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. It took nearly a month for firefighters to contain the blaze.