1. The first recorded birth in Wisconsin occurred on January 2, 1785. The child, a boy named Francois LeClaire, was born to French-Canadian parents near the present-day city of Green Bay.

2. On January 2, 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th state to join the Union. Prior to statehood, Wisconsin had been a territory since 1836.

3. The first ever Rose Bowl game was played on January 2, 1923 between the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University. Wisconsin lost the game 7-6 but the Rose Bowl has since become a beloved tradition in American college football.

4. January 2, 1974 marked the beginning of the infamous "Super Bowl IX Curse" for the Green Bay Packers. The team lost to the Minnesota Vikings in a playoff game, beginning a streak of 10 consecutive postseason losses for the Packers.

5. On January 2, 1990, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson signed into law the nation's first private school voucher program. The program allowed low-income families in Milwaukee to use state-funded vouchers to send their children to private schools.