1) In 1718, the French explorer Jean Baptiste de la Vérendrye passed through what is now South Dakota on his journey to explore the western United States.

2) On August 1, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker in Deadwood. This event is widely recognized as one of the most famous shootouts in Wild West history.

3) In 1890, the last major battle between the U.S. Army and Native American tribes took place at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The tragic event resulted in the deaths of nearly 300 Lakota men, women, and children.

4) On August 1, 1927, a record-breaking heat wave struck South Dakota and much of the Midwest. Temperatures soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for several days, causing widespread health and agricultural problems.

5) On August 1, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed the Black Hills Flood Control Act into law. This legislation authorized the construction of several flood control projects in the Black Hills region of South Dakota, helping to mitigate the effects of severe flooding that had plagued the area for decades.