1. On January 7, 1892, the South Dakota State House of Representatives passed a bill establishing South Dakota State University, then known as the South Dakota Agricultural College.

2. In 1939, on January 7, the historic Mount Rushmore National Memorial received its first funding from the federal government to begin carving the faces of four U.S. presidents into the granite mountain.

3. On January 7, 1943, a B-17 bomber crashed into Badger Mountain near Deadwood, South Dakota, killing all ten crew members. The cause of the crash was never determined.

4. In 1974, on January 7, the first-ever Northern Plains Snowmobile Championship was held in Hill City, South Dakota. The event attracted riders from across the region and helped establish snowmobiling as a popular winter sport in the state.

5. On January 7, 1987, the South Dakota State Senate narrowly voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, becoming the 35th state to do so. However, the ERA ultimately fell three states short of the 38 required for ratification.