On this date in 1912, Michael Jahner was acquitted of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon with attempt to kill. It was the final act in a series of events that began several months before.

In 1998 the internet was still in its infancy. The World Wide Web had only been available to the public for about five years. Therefore, when Donald Hoffman of Bismarck posted his resume and a photograph on a website called Actor’s World, he didn’t think much would come of it.

On this chilly week in Bismarck 1910, the offense of drinking alcohol was hot page news in The Fargo Forum. The police were on the lookout for the owner of an establishment selling booze. Those establishments were called blind pigs during those days when alcohol was illegal.

Around this time in 1925 at the University of North Dakota, the editorial staff of the 1926 Dacotah yearbook would have been hard at work. January 15 was the deadline for the mock-ups for each section. January 15 was also the deadline for student organizations to reserve space. Balloting for the Who's Who's section was set for January 19.

In 1928, a literal bang welcomed in the new year in Bismarck, albeit a little more than a week late. A sharp early morning explosion at the Bismarck Fur Company was followed by a fire. The business on 5th Street was on the ground floor of the Annex Hotel building. While the fire was not expected to spread beyond the store, more than 50 people were forced to flee to the streets in the wee hours hours due to the heavy smoke filling their rooms.

On this date in 1838, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Carey Allen Harris, sent an angry letter to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, William Clark.

On this date in 2000 the Bismarck Tribune announced that some of the best Appaloosa horses in the world could be found in North Dakota. One of the premier horse magazines, Western Horseman, had just published a profile on the Sheldak Ranch, where prize winning Appaloosas were bred. This was the first time the famous magazine had profiled an Appaloosa ranch. The breed was developed by the Nez Perce Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest, and is distinctive for its spots, usually just on the rump.

On this date in 2003, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Johnson was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full Military Honors. He was born on September 21st, 1917 near Cooperstown, the eighth of 10 children.

Dakota Territory existed for 28 years – from 1861, just days before Abraham Lincoln took office, until 1889, when the territory was divided along the 46th parallel, with North and South Dakota admitted as states.

On this date in 1912, the final report on a horrific accident appeared in papers, telling the full story of a tragedy. On December 30th of 1911, a train derailed near Sharon in Steele County. The Great Northern passenger train No. 3, dubbed the Oregonian, was passing through Steele County at around 10:00 in the morning on a frigid day of -20 degrees, with a 12 mile an hour breeze that made the day seem even colder. The train was going about forty miles an hour on a slight curve, when a rail snapped in the intense cold. The engine, tender, and the first four cars rolled over, catching fire.