1. In 1934, Solomonville, Arizona was hit by a devastating tornado. The tornado had a path of destruction that was 900 feet wide and over a mile long. It destroyed many buildings and homes, killing seven people and injuring dozens more.

2. On May 23, 1989, the Phoenix Suns won the Western Conference Championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in a thrilling Game 6. The Suns went on to play the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, but lost in five games.

3. The Arizona Diamondbacks played their first ever home game on May 23, 1998. They beat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 in front of a sold-out crowd at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field).

4. In 1987, the state legislature designated the Palo Verde tree as the official state tree of Arizona. The Palo Verde is a common tree in the Sonoran Desert and can be found throughout the state.

5. May 23, 1934 was also the day that notorious bank robber John Dillinger was killed by FBI agents outside of the Biograph Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Although not an Arizona-specific event, Dillinger's exploits were well-known in the state, and his death was a major news story at the time.