1. In 1909, Arizona became the 48th state in the United States. This was after nearly 50 years of being a territory, and the date of statehood was officially declared on February 14, 1912.

2. On July 5, 1950, a massive wildfire known as the Dude Fire broke out in the Tonto National Forest. The fire burned for nearly a week, destroying over 24,000 acres and tragically taking the lives of six firefighters.

3. In 1980, the town of Payson, Arizona was hit by a devastating flood that was caused by heavy rains and the release of water from a nearby dam. The flood claimed the lives of nine people, destroyed over 150 homes, and caused more than $70 million in damages.

4. On July 5, 1994, the Phoenix Suns basketball team signed superstar player Charles Barkley to a three-year, $22 million contract. Barkley helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals in his first season with the team.

5. In 2017, the town of Lake Havasu City, Arizona broke the world record for the largest boat parade. The event, which took place on July 4 and 5, featured over 1,200 boats and broke the previous record of 1,180 boats set in Malaysia in 2014.