Most Important Events in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota History

Earlier this summer, the United States celebrated its 246th birthday.

And while that was certainly the most significant date in our nation's history, each of the 50 states that have sprung up over the years has their own pivotal moments from the past decades, or in some cases, centuries.

To find out which dates were most impactful across America, 24/7 Tempo looked at state historical information, research sources, and media reports of significant events throughout U.S. history to determine the most important event in the history of each state.

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Iowa's is relatively recent.

The state's creation of caucuses in presidential primaries, beginning in 1976, put the Hawkeye State on the map politically.

The process, which is unique to Iowa, sees supporters of various candidates gather in one location to make their pitch to caucus-goers. The elected chairperson of the caucus counts the supporters of each candidate. From there, the party's nominee from the state is determined.

Minnesota's most important event actually occurred just six years after it was granted statehood in 1858.

It happened in 1864 with the founding of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

What has become a world-renowned facility was established when William Worrall Mayo opened a sole proprietorship medical practice that evolved under his sons, Will and Charlie Mayo, along with other practice partners.

Today, Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Minnesota, Arizona, Florida, and England, and affiliated facilities throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

South Dakota's most important event occurred nearly 95 years ago - October 4, 1927 - with the unveiling of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills.

The 60-foot-high carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln were first begun in 1927 by Gutzon Borglum with the help of his son, Lincoln.

In 1983, South Dakota officially adopted 'The Mount Rushmore State' as its official nickname.

The oldest event among the 50 states is Virginia's establishment of Jamestown in May of 1607 as the first permanent English settlement in North America.

The most recent event on the list is the protest against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota in 2016.