Minnesota Trivia & Tidbits

Looking for Minnesota trivia? Try our list Minnesota little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

In 1850, the population of Minnesota Territory was 6,077. By 2000, 150 years later, the state had 4,919,479 residents.

first appeared: 1/24/2010

The red or Norway pine is the official state tree, adopted in 1953. One of the best places to see the pines is Itasca State Park, near Park Rapids (pop. 3,276).

first appeared: 1/10/2010

In 1994, college student Robert Stephens founded the Minneapolis-based Geek Squad with $200. Technicians or "special agents" wearing nerdy uniforms, including clip-on ties and white socks with black shoes, are dispatched in Volkswagen Geekmobiles to fix computer glitches at homes and companies. Eight years later, Geek Squad was acquired by Best Buy.

first appeared: 12/27/2009

The world's largest gingerbread house-more than 67 feet tall with 1,496 square feet of space-was built in 2006 by gingerbread artist Roger Pelcher inside the Mall of America in Bloomington (pop. 85,172). Pelcher and a team of helpers used 14,250 pounds of gingerbread, 4,750 pounds of icing and more than a ton of candy embellishments to construct the sweet house.

first appeared: 12/13/2009

Held since 1859, the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights (pop. 5,572) set an all-time record this year with total paid attendance of 1,790,497, surpassing the previous record set in 2001 by 27,521.

first appeared: 11/29/2009

The world's oldest rock outcroppings, estimated at 3.8 billion years, are located near the Yellow Medicine County Historical Museum in Granite Falls (pop. 3,070).

first appeared: 11/15/2009

At 7,674 yards, Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska (pop. 17,449) is the longest golf course to be used for the PGA Championship.

first appeared: 11/1/2009

An Art Deco diner built to look like a railroad car, Mickey's Dining Car was manufactured in New Jersey and shipped by rail to St. Paul where it opened in 1939. The diner has been serving food around-the-clock for 70 years, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

first appeared: 10/18/2009

The state's oldest celebration is Stiftungsfest, begun in 1861 by the Pioneer Maennerchor, a men's singing group, in what now is Norwood Young America (pop. 3,108). The annual founder's day festival is the last full weekend in August.

first appeared: 10/4/2009

A parade of 1,632 all-terrain vehicles rolled through Silver Bay (pop. 2,068) in June and is believed to have set a Guinness World Record for the world's longest ATV parade.

first appeared: 9/20/2009

The state's heaviest pumpkin on record was grown by Chad Revier of New London (pop. 1,066) last year and weighed a whopping 1,427.5 pounds.

first appeared: 9/6/2009

A two-acre Japanese garden provides a serene spot on the campus of Normandale Community College in Bloomington (pop. 85,172).

first appeared: 8/23/2009

In 2004, Lindsay Nielsen of Minneapolis became the first female amputee to complete an Ironman Triathlon. She finished the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run in 16 hours, 32 minutes, in Madison, Wis. The marathon runner lost her left foot in a freight-train accident at age 14.

first appeared: 8/9/2009

Dave Arneson, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game and a pioneer of role-playing entertainment, was born in 1947 in Hennepin County. He and Gary Gygax developed the game in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game became a hit, especially among teenage boys, and was developed into video games, books and movies.

first appeared: 7/26/2009

—Champion skier Lindsey Vonn is the first American woman to win the prestigious overall World Cup title twice-last year and this year. She was born in 1984 in St. Paul.

first appeared: 6/28/2009

—Begun in the 1930s by merchants in Benson (pop. 3,376), "Kid Day" is held each July and includes events such as a parade and the coronation of the Kid Day king and queen.

first appeared: 6/14/2009

—Since 1971, boats built from milk cartons have been raced at the summertime Aquatennial in Minneapolis. The largest competitor was made with 25,000 cartons and stretched 100 feet.

first appeared: 5/31/2009

—The Bergquist cabin, built in 1870 by Swedish immigrant John Bergquist, is the oldest house in Moorhead (pop. 32,177) still on its original site. The cabin is open each June during the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival and by appointment.

first appeared: 5/17/2009

—The Hautman brothers-Jim, of Chaska (pop. 17,449), Bob, of Delano (pop. 3,837), and Joe, of Plymouth (pop. 65,894)-have established themselves as America's foremost family of wildlife artists. They are the only set of brothers to win the Federal Duck Stamp Contest and their work has been featured on more than 40 state and federal conservation stamps.

first appeared: 5/3/2009

–Bert Holbrook, 80, of Waseca (pop. 8,493), has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest known person with Down syndrome. The life expectancy for people with Down syndrome is 55 years.

first appeared: 4/19/2009

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Smart ways to lose