1. On January 8, 1887, the Montana State University was founded in Bozeman, Montana. It was then known as the Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, and it initially offered courses in agriculture, mechanics, and home economics.

2. In 1915, on January 8, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company was granted a charter by the Montana State Legislature. This company was one of the largest copper-mining companies in the world, and it played a significant role in the state's economic development.

3. On January 8, 1932, the Yellowstone National Park Boundary Act was signed into law by President Herbert Hoover. This act extended the park's boundaries by 49,000 acres, and it provided for the protection of the natural resources and wildlife within the newly added lands.

4. In 1951, on January 8, the town of Missoula, Montana experienced record-breaking low temperatures, with a temperature of -33 degrees Fahrenheit recorded at the Missoula International Airport. This event is now known as the Great Freeze of 1951, and it caused significant damage to crops and livestock in the region.

5. On January 8, 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of Kleppe v. New Mexico that the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 was constitutional. This act provided for the protection of wild horses and burros on federal lands, including in Montana, and it has been an important piece of wildlife conservation legislation ever since.