1. In 1915, the first gasoline powered airplane flew in New Mexico. Piloted by Vernon Burge, the plane was a Curtiss JN-4D and took off from the Albuquerque airport.

2. On November 15, 1921, the state of New Mexico officially adopted its state flag and emblem. The design features a red sun in a yellow field, with the state's name in red letters and the Zia symbol in the center.

3. In 1939, the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe opened its doors to guests for the first time. The historic hotel, which has hosted numerous famous guests over the years, is known for its distinctive Pueblo Revival architecture.

4. On this day in 1945, the Navajo Code Talkers were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing their vital contributions to the Allied efforts in World War II. The Code Talkers used their Native language to transmit coded messages that were nearly impossible for the enemy to decipher.

5. In 1967, the New Mexico State Police captured and arrested David F. Ostler, who had been on the run since 1964 after escaping from a Utah prison. Ostler, a convicted rapist, had been living under an assumed name in New Mexico for three years before his capture.