1. In 1864, the Battle of Atlanta took place during the American Civil War. Several Iowa regiments fought in the battle, including the 6th, 7th, 11th, and 13th Iowa Infantry.
2. In 1890, the Iowa State Normal School (now known as the University of Northern Iowa) was founded in Cedar Falls. The school was originally created to train teachers and has since expanded to offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.
3. In 1927, the world-famous Sioux City Corn Palace was dedicated. This unique building is decorated with murals made entirely of corn and is a popular tourist attraction in western Iowa.
4. In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, but spent several years living in Iowa and attended high school in the town of Milton.
5. In 2007, the town of Oakville in southeastern Iowa was evacuated due to the presence of an unidentified substance in the town's water supply. The incident sparked national attention and was eventually linked to a chemical spill from a nearby plant.