1. On August 23, 1902, a charter was granted to establish the city of Brookings in South Dakota. Named after Wilmot Wood Brookings, a pioneer settler and businessman, the city has since developed into a thriving college town and regional hub for commerce and culture.

2. August 23, 2010 saw the inauguration of Dennis Daugaard as the 32nd Governor of South Dakota. A Republican who served two terms from 2010 to 2019, Daugaard prioritized education, economic development, and fiscal responsibility during his tenure.

3. The infamous 1972 Rapid City flood occurred on August 23 of that year, following a sudden deluge that dumped over a foot of rain in the Black Hills region. More than 200 people perished and tens of thousands were displaced in one of the deadliest floods in modern US history.

4. In August 1944, the US Army Air Forces activated the 447th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the Eighth Air Force at Sioux City Army Air Base in South Dakota. This unit flew B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in combat missions over Nazi Germany and occupied Europe during World War II.

5. On August 23, 1995, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Line Item Veto Act, which empowered the President to cancel individual provisions of bills passed by Congress. However, the US Supreme Court later struck down the act as unconstitutional, citing the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.