This week in state history

Historic Minnesota events with anniversaries this week.

April 24

1956 The first baseball game is played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The Wichita Braves beat the Minneapolis Millers, 5-3.

April 25

1924 A race to break the world record for the longest distance traveled in a hot air balloon ends in Rochester as the winner, W. T. Van Orman, lands the Goodyear III just under the world record distance (1,179.9 miles). The race had begun in San Antonio, Texas, and the three top finishers would soon represent the United States at the international competition in Brussels, Belgium.

April 26

1877 Governor John S. Pillsbury appoints this day for prayer to relieve the state from the swarms of Rocky Mountain locusts that had plagued farmers for four years. The locusts linger until August, when they disappear.

April 27

1948 KSTP-TV makes the first commercial television broadcast in Minnesota, showing the Minneapolis Millers baseball game from Nicollet Park for the approximately 2,500 owners of television sets in the Twin Cities. Station owner Stanley E. Hubbard had experimented with television since the 1930s.

April 28

1849 James M. Goodhue publishes the first issue of the Minnesota Pioneer, the territory's first newspaper.

April 30

1803 The Louisiana Purchase is signed, transferring to the United States territory that includes present-day Minnesota west of the Mississippi River.

1961 In his first home run for the Minnesota Twins, Harmon Killebrew hits the ball 467 feet.

This column is derived from MNopedia.org and developed by the Minnesota Historical Society. and its partners.