If the state of North Dakota could blow out birthday candles - perhaps with its windmills? - it would have 118 of them to tackle today.

Here's wishing the state an official happy 118th birthday.

This year's event has been a low-key affair. Gov. John Hoeven and Secretary of State Al Jaeger put out their customary short press releases.

A group of high school history teachers, gathered at the state Capitol to watch their students in a debate tournament, had no knowledge of the event until informed by a reporter.

Still, a birthday is a birthday.

Jump back before 1889, and North Dakota was little more than a dream. At the time, the Dakota territorial capital had recently been moved to Bismarck from Yankton, S.D. Settlers and representatives in Washington were debating whether or not to annex the rapidly growing territory.

And if they did, one question stuck out: One Dakota or two?

The 1889 decision to annex the territory as North Dakota and South Dakota created the region that we know today. Both states were officially annexed at the exact same time to avoid one getting to claim that it came first.

But unlike many births, the state's was surrounded more by partisan politics than cooing aunts.

The idea of annexing the Dakota territories was proposed throughout the 1870s and 1880s, but always fell short because it was opposed by national Democrats.

There were many more Republicans in the territory, so adding it as an official state would only dilute the Democrats' national influence.

Eventually, the winds shifted and President Benjamin Harrison signed papers admitting the Dakotas on Nov 2, 1889. Montana and Washington were admitted at the same time.

So you can wish two of your neighbors a happy 118th birthday, too.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@;bismarcktribune.com.)