Happy 133rd Birthday to Montana: The Last Best State

Today, we celebrate the beautiful state of Montana.

It may be election day in Montana and across the country, but before you get distracted by all of the political news, here's a reason to celebrate. Montana turns 133 years old today. Montana officially became a state on November 8, 1889, and was the 41st state to be admitted into the Union.

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Notable Events in Montana History

• The Territory of Montana was established by Congress in 1864, approximately a year before the end of the Civil War.
• In 1865, Virginia City was named the first capital of the Montana Territory.
• Helena became the official capital in 1875.
• Yellowstone became National Park on March 1, 1972.
• The Battle of the Little Bighorn also called Custer's Last Stand", took place in 1876.
• The Northern Pacific Railroad reached Montana in 1883.
• Congress passed the Enlarged Homestead Act in 1909, and thousands of farmers moved to Montana to buy land.
• Women in Montana received the right to vote in 1914, which was 7 years before women were given the right to vote nationally.

To learn more about Montana's history, click here.

Much has happened throughout Montana's storied history. Here's an interesting fact. In the 1890s, over 25% of the copper used in the world came from Butte, Montana. Butte was also supplying over 50% of the copper in the United States at the time. Evidence of Butte's mining days can still be seen today. Butte was once one of the world's richest cities.

Montana is definitely worth celebrating. There may be a lot that separates us these days, but one thing that we can all agree on is that we're lucky to call Montana home. The state may have changed a lot since its humble beginnings, but there's still a lot to love about living here.

Happy 133rd Birthday, Montana! We hope you enjoyed all of the snowy frosting on your birthday cake!