11 Moments Everyone Born In Minnesota Will Always Remember
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Across the Land of 10,000 Lakes, there are as many ways to grow up as there are people. Minnesotans come from many backgrounds, but we all have something in common: shared memories about some of the most iconic events in the state’s history. No matter which region of the state you live in or what your family background, these are some things all Minnesotans will remember.
It's not often that Minnesota sports teams win any big titles, and even less often that it happens to be baseball. But that's what happened in 1987, and Minnesotans have yet to forget about it. There was even a commemorative Wheaties box to mark the occasion!
Though the most famous collapse was in the winter of 2010, the Metronome roof actually failed a number of times throughout its 32-year history. Each of those times made headline news, making it a uniquely Minnesotan memory that anyone around during that time will not soon forget.
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Minnesotans everywhere were screaming at their TVs when the Vikings pulled off a win in their January 18, 2018, game against the Saints. It meant the team was one step closer to playing the Super Bowl at their brand-new home stadium, and it had more than a few Minnesotans holding their breath.
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Sadly, the team couldn't bring it home in their next game, this time against the Eagles. The game was a big heartbreak for Minnesotans, who won't soon forget the time their team almost made it to their fourth Super Bowl.
Who can forget Jesse "the Body" Ventura? Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, he left his mark on the Land of 10,000 Lakes for better or worse. Besides his governor and wrestling work, Ventura's other claim to fame is that he is the highest elected official of the Reform Party ever.
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Nearly 30 years later, the Halloween Blizzard of 1991 still gets trotted out as the example of the ultimate inconvenient blizzard in Minnesota. The storm dumped so much snow across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest that it had to be measured in feet. But still, hardy Minnesotans got outside for the most memorable trick-or-treating adventure of their lives.
On August 1, 2007, the busy I-35W bridge across the Mississippi River suddenly collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring many others. It was an unforgettable moment that the entire state talked about for days to come.
Between 1992 and 2006, no trip to the Mall of America was complete without a visit to Camp Snoopy. This Peanuts-themed park was as Minnesotan as you can get, given that Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz lived in St. Paul. These days, Nickelodeon Universe isn't quite the same. Anyone who was around during the days of Camp Snoopy won't soon forget.
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Of all the department stores that have come and gone in Minnesota, Dayton's is probably the most missed. The store lasted nearly 100 years, from 1902 to 2001. While we welcome the Targets that took its place, Minnesotans who lived throughout the 20th century will no doubt remember Dayton's.
In yet another disappointing sports-related turn of events, Minnesota - the State of Hockey - went without a professional team for nearly a decade. The North Stars packed up and left in 1993, and the Wild didn't start playing until 2000. Anyone around during those days will remember how tough it was to watch hockey knowing that there was no hometown team to cheer for. Luckily, the Wild have made up for it in the decades since.
If you're over the age of 21 and were born in Minnesota, you probably remember the decades that Minnesotans had to drive to Wisconsin just to buy liquor on a Sunday. No one who has ever made the drive will forget, just like no one who was around in the summer of 2017 will forget the first time they popped into their favorite liquor store to buy alcohol on a Sunday.
What other Minnesota events will you never forget? Share your memories in the comments below!
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