1. On December 18, 1856, Governor Henry Sibley signed a bill creating Ramsey County. The county, named after Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of Minnesota Territory, encompassed what is now the city of Saint Paul and surrounding areas.

2. In 1894, the first recorded automobile fatality in Minnesota occurred in Minneapolis on December 18th. George E. Maxwell was driving a steam-propelled vehicle when he hit a streetcar and was thrown from his vehicle, suffering fatal injuries.

3. The Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company was incorporated on December 18, 1900. The railway provided an important transportation route for iron ore mined in northern Minnesota.

4. On December 18, 1922, the Ford Motor Company announced plans to build an assembly plant in the Twin Cities. The plant opened the following year in Saint Paul, providing employment for thousands of workers.

5. The Minnesota Vikings played their first playoff game in franchise history on December 18, 1968. They defeated the Baltimore Colts 24-14 in the Western Conference Championship game, advancing to Super Bowl III.