1. On February 24, 1847, Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley after a grueling journey across the plains and mountains. This event marked the beginning of the settlement of Utah by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

2. In 1896, Utah was admitted as the 45th state of the United States on February 24. The state constitution was ratified earlier that year, and Utah became the first state in the country to grant women the right to vote under the new constitution.

3. February 24, 1927, marked the opening of the state-owned Utah State Mental Hospital in Provo. The hospital was intended to provide mental health care and treatment to people throughout the state who otherwise would not have access to such services.

4. The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City officially ended on February 24 of that year, after 17 days of competition. The games featured over 2,400 athletes from 77 countries, and Utah was praised for its hospitality and organization of the event.

5. On February 24, 2016, the Utah House of Representatives passed a bill to abolish the death penalty in the state. The bill, which was later approved by the State Senate, replaced capital punishment with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in cases of aggravated murder. Utah became the first state to abolish the death penalty since 2013.