1) One of the biggest blizzards in Montana history hit on December 24, 1964. Over 44 inches of snow fell in Great Falls, causing widespread damage and power outages.

2) On December 24, 1864, a group of U.S. soldiers attacked a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe encampment along the Powder River in what is now Montana. Over 200 Native Americans, mostly women, children, and elderly, were killed in what became known as the Sand Creek massacre.

3) Montana became a state on November 8, 1889, but it wasn't until December 24 of that year that the first governor, Joseph Toole, was sworn in.

4) One of Montana's most famous serial killers, Wayne Nance, was born on December 24, 1953. Nance murdered at least 6 people in the Missoula area during the 1970s and 80s before being shot and killed during a break-in in 1986.

5) On December 24, 1983, the Montana Grizzlies football team won the NCAA Division I-AA championship by defeating the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 22-14. It was the first national championship in any sport for the University of Montana.