Today is the Dakota Bowl! This iconic game day celebrates high school football, with teams from across the state coming together for a full day of championship action. The event, first held in 1993 at the Fargodome, changed the football landscape in North Dakota by bringing all class championship games together in one day.

On this date in 1936, state and federal officials had evidence against some criminals. After a yearlong investigation, the story broke. Newspapers across the country reported on a celebrity extortion plot hatched in a North Dakota penitentiary. Two convicts were put in solitary confinement. A former prison guard was arrested, and an outside accomplice was identified.

The Vietnam War was a polarizing and traumatic event in American history. Should we stand strong against the spread of Communism or should we allow others to chart their own course? While many Americans signed up to serve in the United States Armed Forces, other Americans marched in the streets to protest the war.

Great legacies can have small beginnings. This includes varsity hockey at the University of North Dakota. On this date in 1908, the University of North Dakota's student newspaper, The Student, asked, “How would you like to have at your disposal, morning, noon, and night, an open-air rink, 200 by 150 feet, in good condition, where you could play hockey or just have a good time?"

Ann Alquist visits with the Head of Reference Services, Sarah Walker, at the Heritage Center in Bismarck to learn more about two veterans she interviewed as part of an oral history project: Nathan Goodiron and Thelma Saxby.

In 1937, one of the world’s greatest musicians came to North Dakota. Sergei Rachmaninoff quietly arrived in Grand Forks and Fargo, and presented his recitals at the piano in each city before sweeping off quietly to his next far-off performances.

The United States nearly doubled in size with the Louisiana Purchase. The staggering purchase price of fifteen million dollars was actually a bargain, as it amounted to about four cents per acre. Once the purchase was finalized, the next question was: what did the United States actually buy? President Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring the land west of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis chose William Clark as his co-leader. The Corps of Discovery set off from Camp Dubois, outside of St. Louis, Missouri, on May 14, 1804. It would be two years before they returned.

On this date in 1941, poultry were in the news in various ways. During World War II, poultry played a crucial role in the “Food for Freedom” program, which aimed to boost food production with the slogan "food will win the war." In 1942, farmers were tasked with producing a minimum of 4 billion dozen eggs, an 18 percent increase from the previous year.

When the Civil War ended, Ulysses S. Grant was a national hero and a logical candidate for president. He won the election of 1868. On this date in 1872, he won a second term in an election that had major ramifications for Dakota Territory.

The Oliver family settled near central Dakota Territory in the 1880s. Large game was disappearing, but wildfowl remained plentiful. While it was easy to shoot most wildfowl, getting close enough to wary cranes was challenging, even when they landed to feed.