1. The first Belle Plaine train robbery occurred on December 28, 1874. A group of six men robbed the express car of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad, stealing $15,000 in cash and bonds. They were eventually caught and sentenced to long prison terms.

2. In 1923, the first flight over the North Pole landed in Minnesota on December 28th. The flight, piloted by Richard E. Byrd, took off from Spitsbergen, Norway and landed in a field near Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Byrd became a national hero for his achievement.

3. On December 28, 1977, the Minnesota Vikings played in their first-ever playoff game at home, at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. They defeated the Los Angeles Rams 14-7 in front of a crowd of over 46,000.

4. The largest snowstorm in Minnesota history began on December 28, 1982, and continued for three days. The storm dumped up to 20 inches of snow on the state, causing widespread transportation disruptions and power outages.

5. December 28, 2012, marked the end of an era in Minnesota sports when the Metrodome in Minneapolis hosted its final NFL game. The stadium had been home to the Minnesota Vikings since 1982, but was demolished in 2014 to make way for the team's new stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium.