minnesota history

July 2014, Patrick Sawyer just wanted to finish his conference in Nigeria and get home to Coon Rapids. Two of his daughters had birthdays coming up. Britt Aamodt has the story of the Minnesota man’s encounter with Ebola.

Intercollegiate basketball conjures up images of March Madness and games played at some of the nations most popular universities. The birthplace of this pastime happens to be right here in Minnesota-Hamline University in St. Paul to be exact. Allison Herrera tells us about the infamous Hamline Pipers

The Ham Lake Fire of May 2007 devastated thousands of acres in Northeast Minnesota. Britt Aamodt looks at how it also turned up evidence of a cataclysmic event that took place 1.8 billion years ago.

University of Minnesota professor Brenda Child heard a story growing up on the Red Lake reservation about a sick girl and the vision her father received of a dress and a dance that would—and did—heal her. Professor Child wanted to know if that story gave a clue to the origins of the Ojibwe jingle dress and dance of healing during the Spanish flu epidemic.

Victor Frankenstein and his Creature never had a true heart-to-heart in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. Britt Aamodt looks at how playwright Barbara Field finally brought the creator and created together in her 1988 Guthrie Theater stage play.

Minnesota is the only state that took on the tobacco companies and won. Now, thanks to a settlement of more than 6 billion dollars, Minnesotans and citizens all over the country are more aware of the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke. Producer Allison Herrera tells us why we can breathe easy.

For nearly 50 years, Charles Albert Bender was the only Minnesota-born baseball player inducted into the Hall of Fame, in part for inventing the slider, a powerful pitch for striking out batters. Bender’s rise to fame is poignant. He was an Ojibwe, born on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, and later forced to live at a boarding school in Pennsylvania. Listen to MN90 producer Marisa Helms’ story about the inspirational life of Charles Albert Bender.

September 16, 1918, Nora Emilie Anderson was embarking on the biggest adventure in her 37 years. The native of Rock Dell, Minnesota, was one of hundreds of nurses boarding a ship en route to the Great War in Europe. Unfortunately, a stowaway—Spanish flu—boarded with them. Here’s Britt Aamodt with Nora’s story

"Well, everybody's heard about the bird. Well, uh, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word." Britt Aamodt traces the origins of the 1963 surf rock hit, "Surfin' Bird", to Minneapolis.

Pete Docter imagined adventures at his childhood home in Bloomington, MN. But at Pixar, says Britt Aamodt, he animated them.

St. Paul has had a lot of mayors. But, according to Britt Aamodt, only one Supermayor.

Carrie H. Lippincott was merely looking for a way to support her mother, sister and brother-in-law. But out of necessity grew a flourishing seed business. Britt Aamodt reveals the Pioneer Seedswoman of America.

There was Gene Vincent. There was Chuck Berry. And there was Eddie Cochran. But Britt Aamodt reveals that only one of these '50s rockers made "Summertime Blues" a hit—and hailed from Minnesota.

While many powerful and deadly tornadoes have battered Minnesota, those that struck on May 6th, 1965, stand out because they hit the densely-populated Twin Cities metro area. Six separate funnel clouds moved across Chanhassen, Deephaven, and North Minneapolis, taking 13 lives and causing $50 million in damage. The fast-growing city of Fridley was hit particularly hard, with three funnel clouds touching down there over the course of just a couple of hours. MN90 producer Marisa Helms takes a look back at the Fridley tornadoes of 1965 with the voices of those who survived the disaster.

Cy Thao wanted to tell the story of the Hmong people. Britt Aamodt finds out that he did it not with words but with paint and canvas.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright may have made a name for himself with his legendary homes all over the country, but he also had a reputation with the ladies. Producer Allison Herrera tells us about one incident that happened right here in Minnesota...resulting in Wright's arrest!

In 2010, Grant Moos finally decided to go through the boxes left behind by his dead father, Malcolm Moos, President Eisenhower’s chief speechwriter. Britt Aamodt looks at how some housecleaning uncovered the creative development behind one of Ike’s most famous speeches.

Growing up in Minnesota, Michael Wilson knew he wanted to work with primates after he watched a documentary on Dian Fossey. Britt Aamodt looks at Wilson’s work with the research team that studied the primate version of HIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) in chimpanzees.

Minnesota weather isn’t known for its steaminess. So Britt Aamodt wonders how the state ended up with the oldest Finnish steam bath in North America.

Frederick McKinley Jones was an inveterate tinkerer. So it wasn’t surprising that after a sweltering summer drive in Minnesota, he hit upon an idea. Britt Aamodt looks at the inventor behind the refrigerated truck.