1. Iowa Statehood Day - December 6, 1846, marks Iowa's admission to the Union as the 29th state. The state is named after the Iowa River, which was named after the Iowa tribe, one of the many Native American nations whose presence once graced the state.
2. Birth of Des Moines - On December 6, 1851, Fort Des Moines was officially established by the U.S. Army, laying the foundation for the state's capital city.
3. A Presidential Visit - On December 6, 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes made a stop in Sioux City, Iowa, where he took a tour of the newly completed Union Passenger Depot, one of the largest and most ornately decorated railway depots of its time.
4. A Notable Birthday - Iowan Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, was born on December 6, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa. The site of his birthplace is now a National Historic Site and is dedicated to his life and legacy as a public servant.
5. Education Milestone - December 6, 1991, saw the first graduating class at the Iowa School for the Deaf to earn a high school diploma using American Sign Language (ASL). The school, founded in 1855, remains an important educational institution for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to this day.