1. On December 12, 1890, the tragedy of the Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The massacre resulted in the deaths of approximately 300 Native American men, women, and children.

2. In 1906, the South Dakota State School of Mines and Technology was established in Rapid City. Today, it is one of the top engineering and science schools in the country.

3. On December 12, 1961, the Crazy Horse Memorial was officially dedicated in the Black Hills. The sculpture, which is still under construction, honors the legacy of the Lakota warrior and leader.

4. In 1980, Mount Rushmore National Monument was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The iconic sculpture of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln draws millions of visitors to South Dakota each year.

5. On December 12, 2012, a major blizzard known as Winter Storm Brutus struck western South Dakota. The storm, which dumped up to four feet of snow in some areas, caused widespread power outages and travel disruptions.