1. On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. North Dakota, then part of Dakota Territory, would go on to officially recognize Thanksgiving as a state holiday in 1893.

2. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad completed a line from Casselton to the Montana border, providing North Dakota with an important transportation link to the west. This event occurred on October 3, further connecting North Dakota with the rest of the country.

3. On October 3, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Fargo, North Dakota, as part of a tour of the West. During his visit, he devoted significant attention to issues surrounding conservation, promoting the idea of protecting natural resources for future generations.

4. In 1919, North Dakota enacted a statewide prohibition law, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol within the state. Although the law proved difficult to enforce and was ultimately repealed in 1933, it marked a major shift in the state's social and political landscape. October 3 marks the anniversary of the implementation of North Dakota's prohibition law.

5. In 1935, the North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University) defeated the University of North Dakota in the first ever football game played between the two schools. This historic event occurred on October 3, and the rivalry between the two schools continues to this day.