1. Iowa was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1846, making it the 29th state in the United States.
2. On January 26, 1929, the first radio broadcast of an Iowa basketball game took place. KSO radio in Des Moines broadcasted the Drake-Temple game, which ended in a 39-37 win for Drake.
3. In Cedar Rapids on January 26, 1944, the WMT Radio Homemakers School aired for the first time. The show, aimed at teaching domestic skills to women, became one of the longest-running radio programs in U.S. history.
4. Iowa native and astronaut Peggy Whitson returned to Earth on January 26, 2017, after 288 days in space, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
5. On January 26, 1979, the worst blizzard in Iowa history hit the state, leaving approximately 10,000 people stranded in their vehicles and resulting in over $100 million in damages.