1. South Dakota officially became a state on November 2, 1889, but the groundwork for its statehood was laid on April 2, 1889, when President Benjamin Harrison signed the Enabling Act into law. This act authorized Dakota Territory to draft a state constitution and hold a constitutional convention.

2. On April 2, 1917, South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck signed a bill that established the state's first highway patrol, making it one of the first states in the nation to have such an organization. The original patrol consisted of six officers who were each authorized to carry a revolver and hold up to 30 rounds of ammunition.

3. In 1936, on April 2, a severe blizzard swept across the Great Plains, causing widespread destruction and claiming the lives of 73 people in South Dakota alone. Known as the "Black Blizzard," it was one of the worst dust storms in American history and led to the creation of the Soil Conservation Service.

4. April 2, 1945, is a significant date for South Dakotans who served in World War II. On that day, the 147th Field Artillery Battalion of the South Dakota National Guard was part of the U.S. Army's 42nd Infantry Division that liberated the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. The soldiers were the first American troops to enter the camp and witness the horrors of the Holocaust.

5. On April 2, 2009, an F4 tornado struck the town of Bowdle, South Dakota, causing extensive damage and injuring several people. The tornado was one of several that hit the region that year, including an EF4 tornado that struck the nearby town of Wessington Springs in June. These tornadoes served as a reminder of the powerful weather events that can occur in the state's often unpredictable climate.