1. The state of Iowa officially became a state on May 10, 1846. Prior to this, Iowa was part of the Wisconsin Territory and had been inhabited by indigenous people for thousands of years.

2. On May 10, 1933, the Cedar Rapids Gazette became the first newspaper in the world to publish a daily comic strip, "Skippy," created by Iowa native Percy Crosby. The strip ran for nearly 20 years and was widely popular.

3. Iowa State University was established on May 10, 1858, as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm. It was the first land-grant college in the country and focused on agriculture and mechanical arts. Today, it is a comprehensive university known for its research programs.

4. On May 10, 1869, the final spike was driven into the Transcontinental Railroad, connecting the east and west coasts of the United States. The event took place near Promontory Summit, Utah, but many Iowans played a key role in building the railroad.

5. Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson set the record for the longest time spent in space by an American on May 10, 2017. She accumulated 665 days in space over her career, including several missions on the International Space Station.