Minnesota is 159 Today!!
It was on this day in 1858 that Minnesota became the 32nd State in the Union. So what have we been up to since then? Well for starters, Minnesota has grown in population quite a bit since then. When people first began to settle here in the early 1850's there was little more than 6,000 people statewide. At last count there was an estimated 5,489,594.
As for the state motto "The Land of 10,000 Lakes", that's a little off. Technically there are 11,842 lakes that are over 10 acres in size. But who's counting. Minnesotans are known to be a bit, ah, quirky shall I say. We are home to the largest ball of twine after all. Darwin, MN twelve feet wide, 17,400 pounds, made by one man, Francis A. Johnson.
Zubaz were invented right here in Minnesota by Minneapolis gym owners Dan Stock and Bob Truax in 1991. The world probably didn't need to know that. My apologies.
The first snowblower was invented here in Bloomington in 1951. As well as the first smowmobile in 1956 by Polaris.
Did you have a Tonka Truck when you were a kid? They were invented and developed, and continue to be made in Minnetonka, MN (hence the name).
From the Pacemaker to the "Black Box' to oxygen masks to automatic pop-up toasters, Minnesotans have been pretty inventive throughout the years.
Minnesota is home to some pretty famous celebrities, I won't mention the obvious ones. Some you might not know, Loni Anderson, Richard Dean Anderson, Jessica Biel, Rachel Leigh Cook, Mike Farrell, Kelly Lynch, Winona Ryder, Kevin Sorbo, Vince Vaughn, and Chris Pratt.
Did you know that Minnesota has one recreational boat per every six people, that's more than any other state. You can wow Mom with that fact when you make sure to bring her along on fishing opener this weekend, right?
If you want to find more fun facts on Minnesota click here: