When momentous events happen like the election of a new president, White Bear Lake resident Laurie Wenker makes sure to get two copies of that day’s newspaper to tuck away in memory boxes for her teenage daughters.

She did just that — and more Tuesday.

Wenker and daughters Eleanor, 16, and Lillian, 13, joined a crowd of an estimated 6,000 people who gathered at the state Capitol to witness Gov. Mark Dayton sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in Minnesota.

“I wanted my kids to experience history, to take in and breathe in the equality in the air,” Wenker said.

“We were talking on the car ride here, and Lillian said to me, ‘My kids will never know a world where people weren’t allowed to marry the person they love.’ That’s so true.”

Generations of families — gay and straight — endured the heat and erupted in cheers as Minnesota became the 12th state in the nation to legalize marriage equality and the first in the Midwest to do so legislatively.

Before signing the bill, Dayton thanked the legislators and activists who worked to change public opinion on same-sex marriage. They went from fighting a ballot amendment that would have banned gay marriage in the Minnesota Constitution to defeating it last fall and now making marriage for all couples legal.

“What a day for Minnesota,” Dayton said. “And what a difference a year and an election can make.”

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, encouraged people to keep bringing Minnesotans together as they have over the past two years in the fight for marriage equality.

“You think about the young people who get to fall in love, marry the person they love, run home to tell mom and dad, have that wedding and what joy it will bring,” Dibble said. “People who will never know who we are. Never know our names. That’s why we’re here. That’s a legacy to be proud of.”

Sandy Klover thought the day would never come. Her partner, Pam Korpi, figured it was just a matter of time.

On Tuesday, they agreed that their hopes for a wedding in Minnesota now can come true. There are many gay and lesbian couples who’ve been married for decades who should get first dibs on the best dates for a ceremony, said Klover, 42, of White Bear Township.

Barbara Rocheford and Stephanie Shaw marched toward the front of the “Freedom to Marry” parade, which started from the Capitol lawn after the bill signing and ended in downtown St. Paul to the “Love is Law” celebration.

The two have been together for 18 years. Though they live in Hudson, Wis., they plan to move back to Minnesota after nearly a decade away from the state that they consider home.

“We’re looking here with such longing,” said Shaw, who is originally from Crystal.

Mary and Andrew Welters of Minneapolis arrived early enough for the signing to spread a blanket in a shady spot for their two children.

The couple have long supported the push for same-sex marriage, but they became more focused on the issue when Republicans in the Legislature put the marriage amendment on the ballot last fall.

“We felt like that was going way, way too far,” Andrew Welters said.

The Welters said they brought 5-year-old Rowena and 2-year-old Hugo to the signing ceremony to teach them about the democratic process and to share a historic moment.

“It’s a win for civil rights,” Andrew Welters said.

Many times during the debate, opponents had argued that same-sex marriage would hurt children and families. But the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics said bans on gay marriage would do more harm than good for children with same-sex parents.

“This is all about the children and it is all about us as families,” said pediatrician Paul Melchert of Minneapolis, as he thanked the crowd with his twin sons and husband, James Zimmerman by his side.

“This is a beautiful victory for everyone. This is a victory of justice and equality in which everybody wins. We are all winners, there are no losers.”

The first marriages can take place Aug. 1, and the new law doesn’t necessarily mean a quick wedding for Jessica Dyhkuis, 37, of Duluth and her partner Sara Kavajecz. But they expect to be guests at many ceremonies this year.

Dykhuis was one of six plaintiffs in a Hennepin County lawsuit challenging the state’s 1997 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The law signed Tuesday strikes out the DOMA provisions.

“We have so many friends who have been together for 20, 25, 30 years,” Dykhuis said. “It will be a busy fall.”

After the emotional debate at the Capitol and heated campaigns over last year’s proposed constitutional amendment, there were few — if any — gay marriage protesters at Tuesday’s bill signing.

Mark Winiecki, 63, of Hugo stood nearby as the Capitol lawn began to fill up with same-sex supporters. He carried a sign reading: “2014 Vote Out DFL.”

Winiecki said he opposes gay marriage because “the Bible is quite clear — one man, one woman.” But that wasn’t the issue that took him to the Capitol; he was there calling for smaller government.

The front steps of the Capitol weren’t the only place Tuesday afternoon where people celebrated the new law.

In Bloomington, Jillian and Chris Nelson opened a bottle of champagne at 5 p.m., the same time Dayton was scheduled to sign the law.

The couple married last August in Iowa, where same-sex marriage already is legal as the result of court order. After their reception, they saved the champagne for first anniversary.

But when the Senate passed the bill Monday and sent it to Dayton, Jillian Nelson said, the couple decided “that bottle needed to be open today.”

In St. Paul, Susan DeVries and Chris Curtiss shared the top tier of their wedding cake with friends and neighbors at their home in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood.

After more than 20 years together as a couple, DeVries and Curtiss had an unofficial wedding ceremony last weekend. As is customary, they saved the top tier of their cake, although the prospect of freezing it until their first anniversary was unappealing, DeVries said.

“We wanted everyone to share our cake and raise their glasses in a toast at five o’clock,” Curtiss said.

DeVries proposed the unofficial marriage back in November, just a day before Minnesota voters defeated a constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage.

“We never imagined that — when we got married on Mother’s Day — that two days later the governor would be signing a bill to make Minnesota the 12th state to approve same-sex marriage,” Curtiss said.

Frederick Melo contributed to this report. Megan Boldt can be reached at 651-228-5495. Christopher Snowbeck can be reached at 651-228-5479.

HOW DID WE GET HERE

2011: The Republican-led Legislature approve a ballot question on whether to define marriage in the state constitution as for heterosexual couples only.

Nov. 6, 2012: Voters reject the amendment and put the DFL in charge of the Legislature.

Dec. 20, 2012: Members of a group organized to defeat the marriage amendment said they would seek to get gay marriage legalized this session.

May 9: House approves bill on a 75-59 vote.

May 13: Senate approves bill on a 37-30 vote.

May 14: Gov. Mark Dayton signs bill into law.