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Minnesota History Trivia

Minnesota History Trivia Quizzes

2 Minnesota History quizzes and 20 Minnesota History trivia questions.

Minnesota Mania

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

My first quiz is about about my home state - Minnesota.

Tough, 10 Qns, spiker1, Nov 12 08

Tough
spiker1
1032 plays

Minnesota Politics

Multiple Choice

10 Qns

Minnesota is home to quirky politics (see our Governor, for example). See how much you know about the politics of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Difficult, 10 Qns, mrfeek, Jan 08 19

Difficult
mrfeek
Jan 08 19
816 plays

Minnesota History Trivia Questions

1. When did Minnesota become a state?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: May 11, 1858

Minnesota became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858, two years before the outbreak of the Civil War.

2. The 1998 Republican candidate for Governor was:

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman, the Mayor of Saint Paul, came in second to Jesse Ventura.

3. Who was the first territorial governor of Minnesota?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: Alexander Ramsey

Ramsey County is named for Alexander Ramsey. The area of Minnesota Territory included the eastern half of both the future states of North and South Dakota.

4. What does DFL stand for?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Democratic Farmer-Labor

Minnesota is the only state in the union whose Democrats use the DFL label. The name honors the merger of the Democratic and Farmer-Labor parties.

5. Which Minnesota city was home to the first territorial prison?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: Stillwater

The prison operated from 1853-1914. Some famous residents were Cole, Bob and Jim Younger, who were imprisoned there after the 1876 Northfield bank robbery. The building burned to the ground in 2002.

6. Fort Snelling was established at the junction of the St. Peter (Minnesota) and Mississippi Rivers. This area is called 'M-dote' (Mendota), which is the Dakota word for?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: Meeting of the Waters

A fur trading center was located across the river from Fort Snelling. It was also the home of Henry Sibley. Mendota means "meeting waters" or "place where rivers meet".

7. What gubernatorial candidate was forced out of his race after a sex scandal?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Jon Grunseth

Grunseth resigned after allegations of improper conduct around his adopted daughter and her friend.

8. Who was the first state governor of Minnesota?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: Henry Sibley

There is a high school in suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul named for Henry Sibley.

9. Who was the first woman ever elected to Congress from Minnesota?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Coya Knudson

Knudson served in the House of Representatives from 1955-59 but did not seek re-election in 1958 after her estranged husband--recruited by her opponent--wrote an open letter asking her to come home and cook him dinner.

10. Who was the first Minnesotan to hold the office of Vice President of the United States?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: Hubert H. Humphrey

Hubert H. Humphrey also served as United States Senator from January 3, 1949 to December 29, 1964. He died of cancer on January 13, 1978.

11. What GOP governor lost his own party's endorsement to a more conservative candidate?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Arne Carlson

Carlson went on to win the '94 primary, and the subsequent election.

12. What happened on October 31-November 3, 1991?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: The Twin Cities received 28.4 inches of snow.

This storm started with rain and freezing drizzle, which turned to snow very quickly. It was also the single storm record for snowfall in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

13. What Minnesota Senator was censured for financial misconduct?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: David Durenburger

Durenburger was censured for misrepresenting his finances to the Senate.

14. What famous Supreme Court case had its beginnings in Minnesota?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: The Dred Scott Case

Mr. Scott claimed that since his owner brought him to the free territory of Minnesota, he was a free man.

15. What is Gov. Jesse Ventura's real name?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: James Janos

James George Janos changed his name to Jesse Ventura because he always liked the name Jesse, and he saw the city of Ventura, California on a map.

16. What happened on February 13, 1906?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: William Williams was executed by hanging.

This was the last execution in Minnesota history.

17. Who was the first third-party Minnesota Governor?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Floyd B. Olson

Floyd Olson belonged to the Farmer-Labor party.

18. Why is Rosalie Wahl a famous Minnesotan?

From Quiz Minnesota Mania

Answer: First woman Minnesota Supreme Court Justice

This occurred in 1977. Minnesota has a reputation of progressive ideals.

19. Which former Minnesota governor has run for President eight times?

From Quiz Minnesota Politics

Answer: Harold Stassen

Stassen also is a signatory to the United Nations Charter, and resigned as Governor to serve as Chief of Staff to Admiral Nimitz during World War Two.

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