10 Fun Facts About Minneapolis

If you don't spend a lot of time thinking about how amazing Minneapolis is, you should probably start! This city of skyscrapers, lakes, rivers, and beautiful green spaces is also home to some serious history and cultural inventions.

Here are ten fun facts about the fair city you may not have known:

• The city is where many top products were invented: That's right — Minneapolis is where Scotch tape, the bundt pan, Bisquick, and pop-up toasters were invented. A program at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis invented the Honeycrisp Apple. You're welcome, world!
• We're home to the Mall of America: Okay, so it's no longer the biggest in the nation, but it's still huge. Even serious shopaholics are daunted by the size, which measures up to more than 78 football fields.
• A local scandal is why you've heard of the "Twinkie Law": Actual Twinkies were involved. It all started when a candidate for city council handed out Twinkies to voters. He was indicted and a huge scandal was ignited. A fair campaign act was created, as was the term "Twinkie Law."
• Our streets help immigrants, literally: Go to the north part of the city and you'll find streets named after presidents. In fact, the streets are ordered in chronological order based on when each president served. This was done to help immigrants who were studying for their immigration exams.
• We're serious about staying out of the snow: Not only do we have a huge mall where you can hide out all winter, but Minneapolis is also home to the largest continuous skyway on earth. Covering 60 downtown blocks, the Minneapolis Skyway is fun to explore when the weather is scary.
• We're the hometown of one of the most beloved cartoon dogs ever: Minneapolis is where Charles M. Schulz, creator of "Peanuts" and that canine rascal, Snoopy, was born.
• Minneapolis is where the phrase "holy cow!" was coined: Halsey Hall, a Minneapolis sports announcer, used the phrase "holy cow!" for the first time when reporting on a home run.
• We may have added to your American Literature exam: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Song of Hiawatha," is based on the stunning 53-foot Minnehaha Falls. And here's an even stranger fact: Longfellow wrote the poem without ever visiting the falls. We think he missed out.
• You can thank us for your sweet tooth: The next time you munch on a Snickers or Mars Bar, remember that the company which invented the candy was founded in Minneapolis in 1920.
• We're the place for recreation: Minneapolis has a name based on the Greek word for "city" and the Sioux word for "water." Pretty appropriate, since the city has more than 20 lakes. We also have more golfers per capita than the rest of the country. Fore!

Bonus fact #11: Our city makes it easy to eat delicious food, and Tasty Pizza has the best pizza in the state! Order online today to see for yourself. Our pizza is the perfect treat to celebrate our fair city.