1. On August 27, 1916, the Iowa State Fair opened its gates for the first time after being canceled for two years due to World War I. The fair has since become a beloved annual tradition, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

2. In 1965, famed astronaut and Iowa native Peggy Whitson was born on August 27. Whitson went on to become the first woman to command the International Space Station and holds the record for the most spacewalks by a woman.

3. On August 27, 1895, Emmett J. Culligan was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Culligan went on to found Culligan Water, a company that specializes in water softening and filtration systems, which has become a household name across the country.

4. In 1883, the first state fairgrounds in Iowa were established in Des Moines on August 27. The property consisted of 117 acres and was used for the Iowa State Fair until it moved to its current location on the east side of Des Moines in 2006.

5. On August 27, 1830, Iowa Governor Robert Lucas signed a bill that established the state's first public library in the town of Burlington. The library was created to provide citizens with access to books and other educational materials, and it became a model for other towns and cities across the state.