1. The Cherokee Nation was established in Oklahoma on December 4, 1839, when the first tribal council was held at Tahlequah. The Cherokee Nation had been forced to move from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States through the Trail of Tears.

2. On December 4, 1910, the first oil well was discovered in the town of Beggs in Okmulgee County by entrepreneur Charles N. Haskell. This marked the beginning of the state's lucrative oil industry.

3. In 1967, on December 4, former Oklahoma governor and senator Robert S. Kerr died at the age of 62. Kerr was a major advocate for water and energy conservation, and Oklahoma's Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center is named in his honor.

4. On December 4, 1998, Oklahoma was hit by a winter storm that dumped up to 22 inches of snow in some areas of the state, causing major traffic delays and power outages. The storm caused an estimated $129 million in damages.

5. On December 4, 2002, Oklahoma City's first NBA basketball team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, played their first game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Though they lost the game, the Thunder has gone on to become a beloved Oklahoma sports franchise.