Minnesota History

Former Wisconsin Gov. Lee Dreyfus, known for his red vest, dies at 81
Former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, who signed the nation's first statewide gay rights law in 1982, has died. He was 81. Dreyfus was chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1978, when he won the governor's office.
State's sesquicentennial bash is on tight budget
The state board created to direct the state's 150th birthday celebration has raised only about $1 million, only a quarter of what had been hoped for.
The Beatles' one-night stand in Bloomington
Bill Carlson was 17 years old when he got a press pass to photograph the Beatles during their one and only show in Minnesota. Few of those photos saw the light of day until recently, when Carlson decided to publish them in a book called "The Beatles! A One-Night Stand in the Heartland."
Minnesota, land of 'Amber Waters'
The colorful evolution of beermaking in Minnesota is documented in a new book published by the University of Minnesota Press. "Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota" follows the changing industry as it goes from local to regional to national, and back again.
A century of hockey in Minnesota
The Minnesota Wild are quietly off to one of their best starts in their seven-year history. The team is on top of its division in the NHL, and has helped put St. Paul back on the hockey map. This month Sports Illustrated named St. Paul the real "Hockeytown USA."
Medtronic co-founder gets special honor
There was a very rare ceremony Thursday at the University of Minnesota. President Robert Bruininks bestowed an honorary 'Doctor of Medicine' title on a man who is not a physician. It is believed to be the first time such a high honor has been given by a major university in 45 years.
A look back at Eugene McCarthy
E.J. Dionne, one of America's top political observers, pays triubute to the late Sen. Eugene McCarthy, one of Minnesota's top politicians, in a speech at St. John's University. McCarthy, whose 1968 presidential campaign galvanized the anti-Vietnam War movement, died two years ago.
Two lives changed by Pearl Harbor
Ken Deans was in the Army on the Island of Oahu on Dec. 7th, l941. His base was hit during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Carl Nomura was 19 at the time and living in Los Angeles. Not long after the attack, he and 120,000 other Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps.