1. In 1913, the University of North Dakota's football team played the first game on its new field in Grand Forks on November 17. The field was later named Memorial Stadium in honor of the UND students and alumni who served in World War I.

2. On November 17, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped at a Mandan village located near present-day Bismarck. They spent the winter there and were visited by Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who had helped guide them through the Rocky Mountains.

3. In 1887, the Northern Pacific Railroad opened a branch line from Mandan to Dickinson, which became an important shipping point for cattle and sheep. The town's population grew rapidly, and by 1900 it had become the third-largest city in North Dakota.

4. North Dakota's 26th governor, William L. Guy, was inaugurated on November 17, 1961. During his two terms in office, Guy implemented several reforms, including expanding the state's highway system and improving public education.

5. On November 17, 1936, the United States government announced that it would build a new airbase near Bismarck. The base, which later became known as Bismarck Municipal Airport, was initially used as a training center for pilots during World War II and is now a commercial airport.