1. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railway completed a line extension to the town of Carrington in central North Dakota, opening up the region to settlement and economic growth.

2. On March 26, 1935, a massive dust storm swept across the Great Plains, including North Dakota, causing widespread damage and contributing to the environmental disaster known as the Dust Bowl.

3. In 1953, North Dakota native and airman Joseph C. McConnell, Jr. became the first U.S. fighter pilot to shoot down multiple enemy aircraft during the Korean War. He would go on to become the top-scoring American ace of the conflict.

4. On this day in 1979, the state legislature passed a law creating the North Dakota State Rail Authority, which works to improve and expand the state's rail infrastructure and promote economic development.

5. In 2019, North Dakota's Department of Transportation unveiled a new highway safety campaign called "Vision Zero," aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero within the state. March 26 was designated as the official launch day for the campaign.