1. In 1837, the first permanent white settlement in Colorado was established by French fur traders on the site of present-day Fort Vasquez.

2. On January 26, 1875, Colorado Gov. Edward M. McCook signed a law that established the University of Colorado, which opened its doors in Boulder in September of that year.

3. In 1897, the financial panic known as the "Silver Panic" rocked Colorado's economy, leading to bank failures, business closures and widespread unemployment throughout the state.

4. On January 26, 1924, the longest recorded drought in Colorado's history began, lasting for more than 10 years and devastating the state's agriculture and livestock industries.

5. In 1974, the "Colorado Cannibal" Alferd Packer was released from prison after serving 18 years for the murder and mutilation of five men in the San Juan Mountains in 1874. Packer became a legend in the state's history, inspiring books, movies and even a restaurant in his honor.