1. On April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began, and Minnesota was one of the first states to offer troops to the Union cause. Over 24,000 Minnesotans served in the war, and the state played a vital role in supporting the Union effort.

2. In 1938, the first celebration of National Library Week took place on April 12. This weeklong event recognizes the important role of libraries in our communities and encourages people to explore the resources and services that libraries offer.

3. On April 12, 1980, Voyager 1 took the first-ever photograph of the entire solar system. The spacecraft had been launched in 1977 and had traveled over 4 billion miles to reach this point. The image captured the planets and their positions relative to one another, appearing as a tiny speck of light in the vastness of space.

4. April 12, 1993, was the opening day of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. At the time, it was the largest mall in the world, with over 2.5 million square feet of retail space. Today, the mall remains a popular shopping destination, attracting millions of visitors each year.

5. On April 12, 2011, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. This made Minnesota the twelfth state in the nation to recognize same-sex marriage and marked a significant milestone in the fight for marriage equality.