1. In 1858, Minnesota's first governor, Henry Hastings Sibley, signed the state's first constitution, officially elevating Minnesota to statehood.

2. On August 26, 1913, the Great Lakes steamer, "Moonlight" collided with the "Charles J. Kershaw" in heavy fog on Lake Superior, resulting in the sinking of the "Moonlight" and the death of 16 people.

3. The Minnesota State Fair, which is one of the largest state fairs in the country, always opens on the Thursday before Labor Day - which happens to fall on August 26 in some years.

4. In 1922, Babe Ruth played an exhibition game at Nicollet Park in Minneapolis, hitting a home run over the left field wall that reportedly traveled over 550 feet.

5. On August 26, 1960, the US Army Corps of Engineers completed the construction of the Fort Snelling Lock and Dam, which helps regulate water levels on the Mississippi River and is still in use today.