1. In 1862, the US-Dakota War began in Minnesota, but it had significant repercussions for South Dakota as well. Many Dakota people who were involved in the conflict sought refuge in South Dakota, which was then part of the Dakota Territory.

2. On September 2, 1879, the first classes began at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota. Originally called the Dakota Normal School, the institution was founded to train teachers for the rapidly growing Dakota Territory.

3. In 1927, the last known sighting of a wild passenger pigeon in South Dakota occurred near the town of Mitchell. The bird, once one of the most abundant in North America, had been hunted to extinction.

4. September 2, 1950, marked the day that South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation was officially designated as a reservation for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The Pine Ridge Reservation is now one of the largest and most populous reservations in the United States.

5. In 1995, a major flood devastated the city of Pierre, South Dakota, causing widespread damage and displacing thousands of residents. The Missouri River, which runs through the city, reached record levels and breached several levees, leading to significant flooding.