St. Paul, Minnesota

1920Gangster Haven: Under the O'Connor System, St. Paul police agreed not to arrest wanted criminals as long as they committed no crimes within city limits. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Ma Barker all hid in St. Paul.

1841St. Paul Founded: Father Lucien Galtier built a chapel dedicated to Saint Paul on the bluffs above the Mississippi, giving the settlement its name.

1896F. Scott Fitzgerald Born: F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul and grew up on Summit Avenue. His experiences in the Twin Cities shaped The Great Gatsby and his other works.

1858Minnesota Statehood: Minnesota became the 32nd state with St. Paul as its capital, beating Minneapolis in the race for political prominence.

2016Philando Castile Shooting: The fatal police shooting of Philando Castile during a traffic stop in suburban Falcon Heights was livestreamed by his girlfriend, sparking national outrage.

1862Dakota War Aftermath: After the U.S.-Dakota War, 38 Dakota men were hanged in nearby Mankato — the largest mass execution in American history — with the trials directed from St. Paul.

1900Railroad and Brewing Hub: James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway and major breweries like Hamm's and Schmidt made St. Paul a center of transportation and industry.

1934Gangster Era Ends: Federal raids ended the O'Connor System after the kidnapping of brewer William Hamm Jr. and banker Edward Bremer by the Barker-Karpis gang.

1976Winter Carnival Tradition: St. Paul's Winter Carnival, running since 1886, became one of the nation's largest winter festivals, celebrating the city's embrace of cold weather.

2010Hmong Community Center: St. Paul became home to the largest urban Hmong population in the world, with over 30,000 Hmong residents transforming the city's culture.