Ignatius Donnelly is born in Philadelphia. He arrived in Minnesota in 1857 and built a mansion at Nininger, near Hastings. He later served as first lieutenant governor of the state and as a representative in the legislature and Congress.

Sharon Sayles Belton is elected mayor of Minneapolis. She is the first African American and the first woman to hold the office. Having previously worked for the State Department of Corrections and as assistant director of the Minnesota Program for Victims of Sexual Assault, Belton would tout a family-centered platform and administer numerous successful community programs, including the annual youth-oriented event, "Dancin' in the Streets."

Aurelia Wheeldin, one of the earliest female African American boxers, is born in Minnesota. She studied music at Macalester College, earned recognition as a female world-champion bantamweight, and eventually moved to New York City and performed in musicals at the Apollo Theater.

Bishop Thomas L. Grace dedicates the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater, with Father John Ireland presiding. The press of the day acclaims it as the finest church in the state.

Day two of the three-day Great Storm of 1913 begins. It kills 251 people on the Great Lakes (forty-four on Lake Superior) and sinks seventeen boats.

Mary Ann Courteau, who later became known as singer and songwriter Mary MacGregor, is born in St. Paul. In 1976 she recorded the pop song "Torn Between Two Lovers," which became a number-one hit the following year. She married Paul D. MacGregor on November 13, 1971, but they later divorced.

On Thanksgiving Day, the St. James Hotel in Red Wing opens. Conceived by eleven local businessmen who made their fortunes in the grain industry and contributed $60,000 to the cause, the establishment is an expression of community pride and identity.

Steve Carter's Eden is the first documented performance at the Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul. Founded in 1976 by Lou Bellamy, the nationally acclaimed theater won a Jujamcyn Award in 1999 and is known for producing all of the works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson.

Walter "Pudge" Heffelfinger becomes the first professional football player in history. The Minneapolis native signs to play with the Allegheny Athletic Association and is paid $500 for his role in the 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.

DeWitt Wallace is born in St. Paul. Wallace would found Reader's Digest in 1922, and his family's fortune has benefited many educational and performing arts associations.