1. In 1904, the city of Denver held its first annual Auto Show at the Denver Civic Center. The show featured both automobiles and motorcycles and was attended by thousands of people. This event sparked Denver's love affair with automobiles that continues to this day.

2. On April 8, 1935, the Dust Bowl began impacting Colorado. A severe drought and poor land management practices had left the state vulnerable to the dust storms that ravaged the Great Plains in the 1930s. The Dust Bowl had a profound impact on Colorado's agricultural industry, and many families were forced to leave their farms and ranches in search of a better life.

3. In 1959, the Denver Broncos were born. The team was created as part of the American Football League and played its first game in September of that year. Over the years, the Broncos have become one of the most successful franchises in the NFL, with eight Super Bowl appearances and three championships.

4. In 1979, the Colorado Rockies played their first NHL game. The team was one of two expansion teams added to the league that year, and while they struggled in their early years, the Rockies eventually became the Colorado Avalanche and won two Stanley Cups in the 1990s.

5. On April 8, 2019, Colorado became the 19th state to abolish the death penalty. Governor Jared Polis signed the bill into law, citing the high cost of capital punishment and the possibility of executing an innocent person as his reasons for supporting the measure. Colorado's death penalty had been in place since 1859 but had not been used since 1997.