1. In 1876, a skirmish between US Army soldiers and Lakota Sioux warriors occurred in what is now known as the Battle of the Rosebud. Led by Crazy Horse, the Lakota were able to hold off the army and prevent them from joining George Custer's forces at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

2. On June 16, 1903, the first graduating class of students from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology received their degrees. The school still operates today and is known for its programs in engineering and applied sciences.

3. In 1931, construction began on Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The project, featuring the faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt carved into the mountain, would take 14 years to complete.

4. June 16, 1979 saw the opening of the Crazy Horse Memorial visitor complex in the Black Hills. The Memorial, which has been under construction since 1948, honors the famed Lakota leader and is still being carved by the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski's family.

5. In 1980, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act, which set guidelines for the placement of Native American children in foster and adoptive homes. The decision was seen as a major victory for tribal sovereignty and cultural preservation.