1. The deadliest blizzard in South Dakota history occurred on December 27, 1948. The storm claimed the lives of 25 people and thousands of livestock.

2. On December 27, 1890, the Wounded Knee Massacre occurred in southwestern South Dakota. U.S. troops killed more than 150 Lakota Sioux, including women and children.

3. In 1989, the South Dakota Department of Tourism opened the Crazy Horse Memorial Visitors Center on December 27. The memorial is still under construction and is intended to honor the Native American leader of the same name.

4. The first ever Christmas Bird Count in South Dakota took place on December 27, 1940. The count is part of a national effort to track bird populations.

5. On December 27, 1911, South Dakota Governor Coe Crawford approved a bill creating the State School of Mines in Rapid City. The school now offers degrees in subjects such as mining engineering, computer science, and atmospheric sciences.