South Dakota History

On April 19th, 1993, South Dakota was plunged into mourning as Governor George S. Mickelson and seven others met a tragic end in a devastating plane crash near Dubuque, Iowa.

While South Dakota is not typically associated with seismic activity, the state has experienced earthquakes. These are the top five biggest quakes felt in the state.

On January 22nd, 1943, Spearfish achieved a world record for the largest variance in temperature in the shortest amount of time.

January 1943, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve captain Joe Foss shoots down three more enemy planes, bringing his total to twenty-six Japanese planes since late November.

On January 8, 2016, Attorney General Marty Jackley announced South Dakota joined nine other states in a lawsuit objecting to President Obama’s directive regarding the use of school locker rooms and bathrooms by transgender students.

On January 2nd, 1974, The Earth Resources Observation and Science Data Center, (EROS), begins operations in its new facility

On December 25, 1983, many holiday travelers had failed to reach their destinations due to blizzard like conditions.

On December 18, 2015, Teach for America, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe announced an agreement to recruit tribal members to teach at reservation schools.

On December 11, 1909, Saloon bartender Bud Stephens shoots and kills Dode McKenzie in the town of LeBeau.

On May 9, 1922, WCAT (known as Wildcat Radio) became one of the first commercially licensed radio stations in South Dakota.