National Minnesota Day Date in the current year: March 1, 2025

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest, bordered by three U.S. states (Iowa, North Dakota, and Wisconsin) and two Canadian provinces (Manitoba and Ontario). It is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” because Minnesota has more than 14,000 lakes larger than 10 acres. Other nicknames include the North Star State, the Gopher State, and the Land of Sky Blue Waters.

Before the first Europeans arrived in the area, the land that is now Minnesota was home to the Dakota and Ojibwe. The first Europeans to arrive were French fur traders who explored North America in the 17th century. In 1671, the French signed a treaty with several Native American tribes to establish trade relations. Soon after, missionaries began arriving in the area. By the 1720s, the French had built Fort Beauharnois on the shores of Lake Pepin, where Minnesota’s first Catholic chapel was established.

In 1762, under the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau, France ceded its North American colony of Louisiana—including most of present-day Minnesota—to Spain. However, the land east of the Mississippi River became part of the newly formed United States after the Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War.

In 1801, France regained control of Louisiana through the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, although Spain continued to administer the territory. Two years later, Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States for $15 million, nearly doubling the size of the country.

Minnesota was part of the Louisiana Territory from 1805 to 1812, then part of the Missouri Territory from 1812 to 1821. After Missouri and Arkansas became states in 1821, the region remained unorganized until 1834, when it was incorporated into the Michigan Territory, followed by the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. After Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, the portion of Minnesota east of the Mississippi River became part of the new state, while the western portion was assigned to the Iowa Territory until 1848.

Minnesota officially became a separate territory in March 1849. In 1857, the U.S. Senate passed an enabling act allowing Minnesota to draft a state constitution. The constitution was approved in October of that year and ratified by the U.S. Senate on May 11, 1858, officially making Minnesota the 32nd state in the Union.

National Minnesota Day is celebrated on March 1 as part of the National State Days project, launched in 2017 by National Day Calendar. The project celebrates the history and culture of each U.S. state in the order in which they were admitted to the Union. Celebrations begin on July 13 with National Delaware Day and occur every week for the weeks of of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

National Minnesota Day should not be confused with Minnesota Statehood Day, which commemorates the actual anniversary of Minnesota’s statehood. The latter is proclaimed annually by the governor of Minnesota and falls on May 11.