1. In 1858, the state of Minnesota was officially admitted into the Union as the 32nd state. This event marked the end of a long journey for the territory, which had been seeking statehood for several years.

2. On October 25, 1881, a massive forest fire broke out in northeastern Minnesota, burning through over 1,000 square miles of land and killing nearly 500 people. The fire became known as the "Great Hinckley Fire" and remains one of the deadliest fires in American history.

3. In 1963, the first public television station in Minnesota, KTCA-TV, began broadcasting from St. Paul. The station was one of just a handful of public TV stations in the country at the time, and helped pave the way for the widespread adoption of public broadcasting throughout the United States.

4. On October 25, 1971, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers 43-13 in a Monday night football game. The Vikings were a dominant force in the NFL during the 1970s, winning numerous division titles and making four appearances in the Super Bowl.

5. In 2002, Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife Sheila were killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota. Wellstone was a popular and well-respected figure in Minnesota politics, known for his progressive views and advocacy for working-class families. His death was a major blow to the state and the nation as a whole.