1. Arkansas became a state on June 15, 1836, but April 30 holds significance in its path to statehood. On this day in 1812, the Territory of Missouri was created, which included the land that would eventually become Arkansas.

2. On April 30, 1864, Confederate General Sterling Price led his troops into Camden, Arkansas, and took control of the town. This was part of a larger campaign by Price to gain control of the state, but ultimately failed to do so.

3. The Arkansas Gazette, the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi, was first published on April 30, 1819. It continued to be published until 1991, when it merged with the Arkansas Democrat to become the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

4. The Little Rock Nine, a group of African American students who were the first to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on April 30, 1999. This is the highest civilian honor given by the United States Congress.

5. The Arkansas Derby, one of the premier horse races in the United States, is typically held on the last Saturday in April, which often falls on April 30. The race has a purse of $1 million and is a prep race for the Kentucky Derby.