History

The early days at MPR: When music and news shared a call sign
In celebration of MPR's 50th anniversary, here's a taste of how the news was presented on Minnesota Public Radio when we were just starting out.
Holocaust Remembrance Day: Elie Wiesel on what makes us moral
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the words of the late Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner who remained firm in his belief that we simply cannot be indifferent to the suffering of others.
100 years later: What America learned in WWI
"The War That Changed Us - Songs and Stories of World War I America," is a show created by Minnesota musician and writer Dan Chouinard, featuring an all-star cast of local performers.
100 years ago: Music and movements from WWI America
"The War That Changed Us - Songs and Stories of World War I America," is a show created by Minnesota musician and writer Dan Chouinard, featuring an all-star cast of local performers.
From the archive: After the Vietnam War, refugees struggled for survival
Following the war in Vietnam was a civil war in Cambodia. It created a wave of refugees who ended up in camps along the Thai/Cambodian border. In 1979, MPR reporter Greg Barron traveled to the area and visited refugee camps where hundreds of thousands of people were living.
Why 'The Root Beer Lady' got into soda-making
Dorothy Molter's foray into making root beer started with an executive order from President Truman.
New exhibition marks 100th anniversary of America entering WWI
During World War I, 2 million American men would be shipped overseas to fight, and more than 100,000 would die. Back home, the U.S. was undergoing its own transformation. A new exhibit at the Minnesota History Center pays tribute to that turbulent time.
The 'enemies among us' in World War I Minnesota
An historian explores the social context for World War I, a time when Minnesotans cast a suspicious eye on immigrants who might be disloyal. It's a story of fear, and a story of "us versus them," from a hundred years ago.
How the iconic Homer Hanky almost wasn't even a thing
Thirty years ago this October, the hottest accessory in Minnesota was a white hanky. But that almost wasn't the case because the Twins were reportedly afraid of becoming the "laughing stock of baseball."
Aaron Copland didn't like his famous nickname
He was known as the Dean of American Composers. "That's just a name that somebody pinned up," Copland said. "It doesn't mean a thing."