1. The first recorded tornado in South Dakota history touched down on March 21, 1880, in Yankton County. This tornado was estimated to be an F2 on the Fujita scale and caused some damage to buildings and crops.

2. On March 21, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed a bill that officially admitted South Dakota as the 40th state of the United States. This came after years of controversy and disagreement over whether the Dakota Territory should be split into two separate states.

3. In 1918, the first case of Spanish flu was reported in South Dakota on March 21. Over the following months, the disease would spread throughout the state and claim the lives of thousands of people.

4. On March 21, 1945, the USS South Dakota battleship was hit by enemy fire during the Battle of Okinawa. Despite sustaining heavy damage, the ship was able to continue fighting and ultimately survived the battle with only minor repairs needed.

5. In 1968, the first permanent public television station in South Dakota began broadcasting on March 21. This station, known as South Dakota Public Broadcasting, continues to provide educational and informational programming to the people of the state to this day.