1. Utah became a state: July 2, 1896, is a significant day in Utah's history because it was the day the state was officially admitted into the Union as the 45th state. Utah had been a territory for more than 50 years before its statehood was recognized.

2. Freedom Festival: Since 1980, Provo, Utah has celebrated Independence Day with the annual Freedom Festival, which kicks off on July 2nd. The festival includes a parade, fireworks, concerts and other activities.

3. Wilford Woodruff's Manifesto: On July 2, 1890, LDS Church president Wilford Woodruff issued what is now known as the Manifesto, a statement that officially ended the practice of polygamy within the church.

4. Gadianton Canyon Massacre: One of the bloodiest incidents in Utah's history occurred on July 2, 1857, when a group of Paiute Indians and Mormon settlers were ambushed and killed by a group of Ute Indians in Gadianton Canyon. The incident is thought to have been sparked by tensions over the Mormon practice of polygamy.

5. First State Capitol: On July 2, 1851, the Utah Territory's first capitol building was completed in Fillmore, Utah. The building served as the territorial capitol until Utah was granted statehood in 1896. Today, the capitol building is a museum that tells the story of Utah's early political history.