1. Statehood Day: March 2, 1889, marks the day that South Dakota officially became a state, making it the 40th in the United States.

2. Spearfish Canyon Disaster: On March 2, 1962, a devastating blizzard hit the Black Hills region of South Dakota, causing a massive avalanche in Spearfish Canyon that killed nine miners.

3. Mount Rushmore Sculpture Begins: On March 2, 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum began work on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which would eventually become one of South Dakota's most iconic tourist attractions.

4. Sioux Treaty of 1867: On March 2, 1867, the Sioux Treaty of 1867 was signed, which ceded most of the land in western South Dakota to the United States and opened the territory for settlement.

5. Flaming Fountain: On March 2, 1966, the Flaming Fountain, a popular tourist attraction in Rapid City, was destroyed in a fire. The fountain featured a series of flaming geysers that shot up to 30 feet in the air.