1. On February 27, 1861, President James Buchanan signed a bill that officially admitted South Dakota as a territory of the United States.
2. In 1973, the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied the town of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The occupation, which lasted 71 days, brought national attention to the plight of Native Americans.
3. February 27, 1922, marked the opening of Crazy Horse Memorial, a massive sculpture being carved into the Black Hills. It honors Crazy Horse, a Lakota leader who fought against U.S. troops in the late 1800s.
4. On February 27, 1939, the Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, discovered the largest gold nugget ever found in the Western Hemisphere. Known as the "Uncle Sam," the nugget weighed 1,135 troy ounces.
5. The South Dakota State Capitol building in Pierre was dedicated on February 27, 1910. The building, which features a distinctive copper dome, serves as the seat of government for the state of South Dakota.