Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, bordering Canada and the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota. It's the 12th-largest state by area and the 22nd-most populous, with about 5.8 million residents. Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," it has over 14,000 freshwater bodies. Approximately one-third of the state is forested, with the rest consisting of prairie and farmland. The Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, called the "Twin Cities," is home to over 60% of Minnesotans and serves as the state's political, economic, and cultural center. Other notable areas include Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud.
By 1900, Minnesota mills, including Pillsbury, Northwestern, and Washburn-Crosby Company, were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.
In 1901, the Washington Senators became a founding member of the American League.
In 1922, KUOM-AM, the state's oldest radio station, was launched. It is among the 10-oldest radio stations in the United States.
In September 1927, John Philip Sousa and his band premiered "The Minnesota March" at the Minnesota State Fair before a crowd of 12,000.
In 1931, western Minnesota and the Dakotas were hit by a drought, which compounded the economic hardship of the Great Depression.
In 1934, the Indian Reorganization Act provided tribes with a mechanism of self-government, leading to a greater voice for Natives within the state and more respect for tribal customs.
The drought that began in 1931 in western Minnesota and the Dakotas ended in 1935. New Deal programs provided some economic turnaround.
On July 6, 1936, the highest temperature recorded in Minnesota was 114 °F (46 °C) at Moorhead.
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) was formed in 1944 from an alliance of the Minnesota Democratic and Farmer–Labor parties.
In 1946, Engineering Research Associates was formed to develop computers for the United States Navy.
In 1947, the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association played in the Minneapolis Auditorium.
On April 27, 1948, KSTP-TV began broadcasting, marking the start of broadcast television in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
Hubert Humphrey brought national attention to Minnesota with his address at the 1948 Democratic National Convention.
In 1949, Medical device maker Medtronic also started business in the Twin Cities.
In 1951, Minneapolis hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.
In 1957, William Norris left Sperry to form Control Data Corporation (CDC).
In 1957, the legislature created a planning commission for the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
In 1960, the Minneapolis Lakers relocated to Los Angeles.
Minnesota has voted for the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1960, with the exception of 1972.
In 1961, The Minnesota Vikings were admitted to the National Football League as an expansion franchise and began playing in Metropolitan Stadium.
In 1961, the Minnesota Twins began play in the Twin Cities after relocating from Washington, D.C., where they were known as the Washington Senators.
In 1965, the Minnesota Twins advanced to the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
In 1967, the Minnesota North Stars competed in the NHL.
In 1967, the planning commission for the Twin Cities metropolitan area became the Metropolitan Council.
In 1971, under Governor Wendell Anderson, the "Minnesota Miracle" legislation reformed financing of Minnesota public schools and local governments.
In 1972, Minnesota was won by Republican Richard Nixon.
A Prairie Home Companion, a comedy radio show, first aired in 1974 on National Public Radio.
In 1976, the Minnesota Kicks played at Metropolitan Stadium.
Since 1976, Minnesota has consistently voted for the Democratic presidential nominee, making it a reliable base for the Democratic Party, longer than any other U.S. state.
Since 1976, Minnesotans have consistently cast their Electoral College votes for Democratic presidential candidates, longer than any other state.
Between 1980 and 2000, the populations of metropolitan Sherburne and Scott counties doubled.
In 1980, twelve of the twenty members of the gold medal ice hockey team (coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks) were from Minnesota.
1981 was the last year the Minnesota Vikings played at Metropolitan Stadium.
In 1981, The Minnesota Kicks ceased operations.
In 1981, the Minnesota North Stars lost the Stanley Cup Finals.
In 1982, the Minnesota Vikings moved to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
In 1984, The Minnesota Strikers were active.
The Minnesota Twins won the 1987 World Series in a seven-game series where the home team was victorious in all games.
In 1988, The Minnesota Strikers ceased operations.
Since 1990, the Minnesota Timberwolves have played in Target Center.
Two years after the 2010 election, the DFL regained control of both houses, gaining same-party control of both the legislative and executive branches for the first time since 1990.
In 1991, the Minnesota North Stars lost the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Minnesota Twins won the 1991 World Series in seven games where the home team was victorious in all games.
In 1992, Minneapolis hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.
In 1993, The Minnesota North Stars ceased operations.
Since 1993, the University of Minnesota-owned station KUOM-AM broadcasts a college rock format.
On February 2, 1996, the lowest temperature recorded in Minnesota was −60 °F (−51 °C) at Tower.
In 1996, swimmer Tom Malchow won an Olympic silver medal.
In 1998, former mayor of Brooklyn Park and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was elected to the governorship by the Reform Party, now the Independence Party.
Between 1980 and 2000, 40 of Minnesota's 87 counties lost residents.
In the 2000 Summer games, swimmer Tom Malchow won an Olympic gold medal.
In 2001, Minneapolis hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.
Minnesota was ranked as the healthiest state in the nation in 2005 by two groups.
Since 2005, Minnesota has required a 2% biodiesel blend in diesel fuel.
In 2006, a constitutional amendment was passed that required sales and use taxes on motor vehicles to fund transportation, with at least 40% dedicated to public transit.
In 2006, the Guthrie Theater, a world-renowned theater, relocated to a new facility in Minneapolis, featuring three stages and overlooking the Mississippi River.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics, the U.S. men's curling team won the bronze medal.
In the 2006 mid-term election, Democrats were elected to all state offices in Minnesota, except governor and lieutenant governor. The DFL also posted double-digit gains in both houses of the legislature and elected Amy Klobuchar to the U.S. Senate.
On October 1, 2007, the Freedom to Breathe Act went into effect, which outlawed smoking in restaurants and bars in Minnesota.
As of 2007, Minnesota had the largest number of breeding pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
On January 16, 2008, the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild reached 300 consecutive sold-out games.
As of 2008, Minnesota was ranked 12th in the nation in per capita total state and local taxes. In 2008, Minnesotans paid 10.2% of their income in state and local taxes, compared to the U.S. average of 9.7%.
In 2008, DFLer Al Franken defeated incumbent Republican Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate race by 312 votes.
In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, 78.2% of eligible Minnesotans voted, the highest percentage of any U.S. state.
Between 2005 and 2009, Minnesota's ranking as the healthiest state declined from first to sixth due to low public health funding and binge drinking.
In 2009, Minnesota had the second-highest proportion of high school graduates in the U.S., with 91.5% of people 25 and older holding a high school diploma.
As of the 2010 census, Minnesota had 17 cities with populations above 50,000, including Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, and Duluth.
In 2010, Minnesota United FC played in the lower-division North American Soccer League.
In the 2010 election, Republicans took control of both chambers of the Minnesota legislature for the first time in 38 years, and the DFL party took the governor's office.
In 2011, the Minnesota Lynx won the Women's National Basketball Association Championship.
After the 2013 season, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was demolished to make way for the construction of the Minnesota Vikings' new home, U.S. Bank Stadium.
In 2013, Minnesota ranked eighth in the world and third in the United States in math and science performance among eighth-grade students.
In 2013, the Minnesota Lynx won the Women's National Basketball Association Championship.
As of 2014, according to the Pew Research Center, 74% of Minnesotans identified as Christian, 5% belonged to non-Christian faiths, and 20% identified as religiously unaffiliated.
In 2014, Minnesota students earned the tenth-highest average composite score in the nation on the ACT exam.
In 2014, the Minnesota State Fair had more than 1.8 million visitors, setting a new attendance record.
In 2015, Minneapolis was named the nation's "Most Literate City", while St. Paul placed fourth.
In 2015, the Minnesota Lynx won the Women's National Basketball Association Championship.
In 2015, the Minnesota Swarm of the National Lacrosse League moved to Georgia.
In 2016, Minnesota United FC ceased operations in the North American Soccer League.
In 2016, Minnesota native Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In 2016, Minnesota produced 60% of the country's usable iron ore.
In 2016, the GOP regained control of the State Senate.
In the fall of 2016, the Hazeltine National Golf Club hosted the Ryder Cup, becoming one of two courses in the U.S. to host all major golf competitions.
In 2017, Minnesota United FC joined Major League Soccer as an expansion team.
In 2017, the Minnesota Lynx won the Women's National Basketball Association Championship.
In the 2017 American Community Survey, 5.1% of Minnesota's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin.
In February 2018, the Vikings' current stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, hosted Super Bowl LII.
As of 2018, Minnesota had the largest refugee population per capita of any state, with 2% of the country's population but 13% of its refugees.
In 2018, the DFL retook control of the Minnesota House, while electing DFLer Tim Walz as Governor.
In the 2018 Winter Olympics, the gold medal-winning curling team was from Duluth.
On January 7, 2019, Tim Walz took office as Minnesota's governor.
In 2019, Minneapolis hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.
In 2019, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) had the largest audience of any regional public radio network in the nation, broadcasting on 46 radio stations.
In 2019, Minnesota had over 411 service stations that supplied E85 fuel, which is composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
In 2019, Minnesota's economy had a gross domestic product of $383 billion.
In 2019, Minnesota's per capita personal income was $58,834, the thirteenth-highest in the nation.
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2020, Minnesota had a population of about 5.7 million, making it the 22nd-most populous U.S. state.
As of 2020, the white population in Minnesota had fallen to 77.5% from over 98% in the early to mid-20th century, while other racial populations increased.
In 2020, 79.96% of registered voters in Minnesota participated in the general election.
In a 2020 study, Minnesota was ranked as the 15th easiest state for citizens to vote in.
In the U.S. News & World Report's 2020–21 survey, the Mayo Clinic was ranked in the top four hospitals in the country in most specialized fields of care and ranked first on the best hospitals honor roll.
Minnesota's fertility rate in 2021 was slightly below the replacement rate at 1.75.
In 2023, the DFL (Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party) gained control of all three branches of Minnesota's government and passed significant reforms in the legislative session.
Since 2023, both the Minnesota House and Senate have had a slim DFL majority.
In 2024, Tim Walz was Kamala Harris's running mate in the United States presidential election.
As of 2025, this entry marks the date for which Minnesota's largest employers are listed.
The Ryder Cup is scheduled to return to Hazeltine National Golf Club in 2028.
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