1. In 1864, the Battle of Pleasant Hill took place in Louisiana during the Civil War. Among the Union soldiers serving in this battle was the 6th Iowa Infantry, which suffered heavy losses. The battle proved to be a strategic victory for the Confederacy, which was able to retreat without suffering significant casualties.

2. On April 9, 1895, Booker T. Washington gave a speech at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) in Ames, Iowa. In his speech, Washington spoke about the importance of education and self-reliance for African Americans, and he emphasized the value of vocational education.

3. In 1933, Iowa Governor Clyde Herring signed the Iowa Beer and Liquor Control Act, which repealed Iowa's prohibition laws and established a state monopoly on the sale of alcohol. This was part of a broader trend towards ending prohibition in the United States during the Great Depression.

4. On April 9, 1959, NASA announced the selection of the first group of astronauts for the Mercury program, which aimed to put humans into space. Among the seven astronauts selected was Iowa native Virgil "Gus" Grissom, who would later become the second American to go into space.

5. In 1965, a tornado outbreak struck Iowa, causing widespread damage and killing 16 people. The outbreak was part of a larger tornado outbreak that affected the central and eastern United States, causing a total of 258 deaths. The outbreak is considered one of the deadliest and most destructive in U.S. history.