1. On March 27, 1836, Iowa Territory was established by an Act of Congress, paving the way for Iowa to become a state in 1846. The territory encompassed modern-day Iowa, parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas, and small portions of Nebraska and Wyoming.

2. March 27, 1947, marked the first time a television station in Iowa went on the air. KWWL, based in Waterloo, began broadcasting as a CBS affiliate and now serves as an NBC affiliate for eastern Iowa.

3. In 1906, Iowa Governor Albert B. Cummins signed a bill that established the first state highway system in the United States. The system was initially composed of 11 roughly north-south and east-west routes, covering nearly 3500 miles of roadway. The system was expanded and improved over the years, and in 2008, Iowa was named the #1 state for quality of highways by U.S. News & World Report.

4. On March 27, 1922, the state of Iowa established the Iowa Labor Commission, which was tasked with advocating for workers' rights and mediating disputes between workers and employers. Today, the Iowa Workforce Development agency carries out many of these functions, including administering unemployment insurance, providing job training and placement services, and enforcing labor laws.

5. March 27, 1999, saw the debut of the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame, which honors women who have made significant contributions to the state of Iowa. The inaugural class of inductees included trailblazers such as Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who fought for civil rights and women's suffrage, and Antonia Coello Novello, the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. Since then, dozens of women from all walks of life have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.