Minnesota is nicknamed the Gopher State. The legislature had guaranteed a $5 million loan to railroad interests, and a cartoon showing a railroad car of corrupt men being pulled by nine striped rodents with human heads (representing legislators and railroad promoters) is printed on this date.

Minnesotans John Shuster, Tyler George, John Landsteiner, and Joe Polo, with Wisconsin teammate Matt Hamilton, win the first US gold medal in curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Watonwan County is established, named for the river. Watonwan means "I see" in Dakota, but the name of the river may have been a misspelling of watanwan (fish bait).

Edward D. Neill obtains a charter for the Baldwin School, which later became St. Paul's Macalester College.

Mount Zion Hebrew Congregation, the first Jewish organization in Minnesota, is formed in St. Paul.

Minneapolis native Prince sweeps the Grammy Awards as his soundtrack to Purple Rain earns awards for best soundtrack, best rock performance, and best R&B song.

Waseca County is formed, named with a Dakota word meaning "rich in provisions." Also on this day, a humorous episode in Minnesota's history begins. Joseph Rolette, a fur trader representing Pembina in the territorial legislature, steals the text of a bill to move the capital from St. Paul to St. Peter. Although the bill had been passed, it had not been signed by the governor.

Minneapolis and St. Anthony are united into one city.

Dania Hall burns down while under construction. The building had once functioned as a gathering place for Danish immigrants and was undergoing rehabilitation plans when it was destroyed. A year later, community members would place a commemorative marker on the site.

Congress creates the Illinois Territory, which includes all of present-day Minnesota east of the Mississippi River.

Airmail service between the Twin Cities and Winnipeg begins.

The Minnesota Twins baseball team trades future hall-of-famer Rod Carew to the California Angels in exchange for outfielder Ken Landreaux, right-handed pitcher Paul Hartzell, two rookies (left-handed pitcher Brad Havens and catcher-third baseman Dave Engle), and an estimated $200,000. Carew, who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, remarks, "I love the Minnesota fans and like living here. But it was no longer any fun playing . . .