1. The Battle of Moreau River: On January 12, 1891, Lakota Sioux leader Big Foot and his followers were stopped by the U.S. Seventh Cavalry at Wounded Knee Creek. The clash, known as the Battle of Moreau River, ended with the death of Big Foot and more than 150 Sioux, many of whom were women and children.

2. First South Dakota Legislature: On January 12, 1885, the first South Dakota Legislature convened in Pierre, the state capital. Governor Arthur C. Mellette delivered his inaugural address to the lawmakers, laying out his agenda for the new state.

3. Nuclear test site: On January 12, 1950, the U.S. government designated an area in southwestern South Dakota as a nuclear test site. Over the next decade, the federal government conducted a series of nuclear tests at the site, known as the Nevada Test Site.

4. Drought conditions: On January 12, 2000, Governor Bill Janklow declared a state of emergency due to drought conditions in South Dakota. The drought, which lasted several years, led to extensive damage to crops and livestock.

5. Native American protests: On January 12, 1973, members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) began occupying the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in protest of the federal government's treatment of Native Americans. The occupation lasted for 71 days and was one of the most significant protests of the Native American civil rights movement.