We’ve certainly talked about some notable Minnesota firsts like the brilliant inventions of Scotch Tape and Post-its, as well as box cake mix and even heart transplants, but there are still some MN firsts that many people don’t know. You might be surprised to learn that Minnesota was also the first to bring a several other notable things into the world. Enjoy these Minnesota fun facts:

1. 3M has a lot of important inventions in their past, but one we now often forget is plastic magnetic recording tape!
stuart.childs/Flickr
2. Golden Valley Microwave Foods had the first shelf-stable microwave popcorn! Act II!
frankieleon/Flickr


For a fun and fascinating look at the history of popcorn check out this video from History & Intrigue:
3. The Minnesotan Totino family made the first crisp-crust frozen pizza in 1979.
Mike Mozart/Flickr
4. Minnesota grocer Walter Deubener created the first handled grocery bags. Otherwise, it'd be hard to carry all that popcorn and pizza!
Manuel Noah Angeja/Flickr
5. The brand new state of Minnesota was the first state to respond to President Abraham Lincoln’s request for volunteer regiments and The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry played a pivotal role in The Battle of Gettysburg.
The National Guard/Flickr


Learn more about the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment and their impact on the Battle of Gettysburg in this video from Project Past:
6. Minnesota was not only the home to the first furnace thermostat but also the first place to have an air-conditioned home!
/midnightcomm/Flickr

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7. Minnesota not only was the scene of the first open-heart surgery but also the first organ transplants as well!
Spirit-Fire/Flickr
8. In 1889 Minneapolis became the home of the first library Children's Section!
Flickr/Ellen Forsyth
9. Minnesota had the first concrete grain elevator thanks to Frank Peavey and his desire to stop grain elevators from burning down all the time!
Mark Hogan/Flickr
10. Twin Cities-based Northwest Airways (which merged with Delta in 2009) had the first closed-cabin commercial airplane! Talk about an aviation milestone!
Aero Icarus/Flickr
11. Minnesota was the home of the first automatic retractable seat belts thanks to James “Crash” Ryan!
tyle_r/Flickr


Check out a brief history of the automatic seatbelt in this video from Road Sense Australia:
12. Another James “Crash” Ryan legacy is the "black box" flight data recorder that is now standard on all commercial planes and offers investigators clues about crashes and other incidents.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr

How many of these 12 Minnesota fun facts did you know? Which was the most surprising? If you own any more fun facts about MN share them with a comment.

For more Minnesota fun, check out our list of quirky facts about Minnesota that sound made up but are actually true.

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More interesting things about Minnesota

Chris Muras | June 22, 2023

What are some things invented in Minnesota?

Minnesota has been sharing its creativity with the world since its founding. Here are some interesting things invented in Minnesota that you may not have known about:

  • The Milky Way: (Not THAT Milky Way) The nougaty goodness found in the Milky Way candy bar was invented in 1923 by Frank C. Mars right here in Minneapolis. It's interesting to note that the chocolate malt-based nougat used in the Milky Way is different from other nougats that typically have nuts.
  • Twister: Yup, the game that ties us in knots was invented right here in Minnesota. The concept was brought to us by Reyn Guyer, who also is responsible for the Nerf ball.
  • The game of Cootie: You may not remember this one but it was a classic in the 1980s. Surprisingly it was invented in 1948 by William Schaper, a Minneapolis fisherman who based it off of a fishing lure he had created with six legs. The game sold more than a million units in the first few years. It had a resurgence in 1973 when it was purchased by Tyco Toys and again in 1986 when it was acquired by Hasbro.
  • Rollerblades: What is a Minnesotan to do when the lakes thaw out and we can't play hockey? Invent skates with inline wheels! Scott and Brennan Olsen didn't invent the inline skate but they discovered an old pair in a used shop and had the breakthrough idea to market them to hockey players for offseason training. In 1980 Rollerblade was launched and the skating world has not been the same ever since.
  • The personal snowblower: The first commercial snow blower was invented in 1925, but it wasn't until the 1950s that the personal walk-behind snow blower was mass-produced by The Toro Company based out of Bloomington, Minnesota. It was first called The Snow Hound. Thanks to this helpful invention the strain on our backs has been greatly relieved on those snowy and blowy winters.

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