1. The Nebraska legislature met for the first time on March 9, 1867. This marked the official beginning of the state's government, which had been established just a few months earlier when President Andrew Johnson signed a bill admitting Nebraska as the 37th state.
2. On March 9, 1925, the Omaha City Council declared a state of emergency due to a severe outbreak of polio. The disease affected over 800 people in the city that year, killing 80 of them. The epidemic led to the establishment of the Nebraska Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which later became the March of Dimes.
3. The world's first Kool-Aid stand was set up in front of a grocery store in Hastings, Nebraska on March 9, 1927. The popular drink mix was invented by Edwin Perkins, a local businessman who had been experimenting with different flavors in his laboratory. Kool-Aid quickly became a hit with children and adults alike, and is still sold in stores today.
4. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln celebrated its 100th anniversary on March 9, 1969. The school first opened its doors in 1869, just two years after Nebraska became a state. Today, UNL is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the Midwest.
5. On March 9, 2006, the Nebraska Legislature voted to abolish the state's death penalty. The measure was vetoed by Governor Dave Heineman, but was later overridden by the legislature in 2015. Nebraska became the first conservative state to repeal the death penalty in more than 40 years.