History

Music in the midst of Sri Lanka's civil war
Minnesota and journalist Jesse Hardman got an inside view of the brutal civil war in Sri Lanka, and in the midst of the chaos he came upon an amazing story of a forgotten people.
Vets mark 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
This week marks the 65th anniversary of the start of Battle of the Bulge. It was the huge offensive mounted by the German High Command in the waning days of World War II. Some 19,000 U.S. troops died in the battle which was fought in the depths of one of the worst winters in years in Europe.
Historic map coming to Minnesota
One of the world's rarest maps -- a massive print from 1602 showing the world with China as its center -- will soon be on permanent display at the University of Minnesota.
The tale behind 'The Messenger'
A new film opening in the Twin Cities this week called "The Messenger" tells the story of two soldiers on casualty notification duty -- telling next of kin about the death of a soldier.
'Casanova's Homecoming' returns home
This weekend, the Minnesota Opera returns to a milestone in its history, "Casanova's Homecoming" by Minneapolis composer Dominick Argento, and it's hoped this new production will relaunch the piece.
Gail Collins on women and history
New York Times columnist Gail Collins profiles women who lived through perhaps the most transformative time in history, from the 1960s until the present. This is when more women achieved success in politics, sports and the working world than ever before. Collins talked with Kerri Miller before an audience at MPR's UBS Forum on October 15.
80th anniversary of 1929 stock market crash
MPR's chief economics correspondent Chris Farrell joins Midday to discuss the stock market crash of 1929, and the lessons learned -- and not learned from that event. How does our economy today compare to 1929 and what does the future hold?
Historians Ed Ayers and Brian Balogh both say they entered the profession to have a better understanding of how the world we live in came to be. That's the driving force behind their scholarship, and the basis for their radio show. They join Midmorning to talk about the enduring lessons of American history.