Merry Helm

General David Jones was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this date in 1978. Born in South Dakota, he was raised in Minot, where a winter…

Shortly after 7:30 p.m. on this date in 1957, a tornado ripped through north Fargo. Called by many the “storm of the century,” it left 13 dead, more than…

Doctor Webster Merrifield became UND’s third president on this date in 1891. Merrifield grew up in Vermont and graduated from Yale in 1877. For the next…

About this time in 1949, North Dakotans were learning that a man doing time for forgery in Michigan had confessed to killing two people in North Dakota.…

On this date in 1914 Canada experienced its worst maritime disaster during peacetime. Just two years after the Titanic went down, the Empress of Ireland…

As you may have noticed, North Dakota has produced a great many high-ranking military officers. Retired Admiral Bill Owens was born on this date in 1940.…

Today marks the anniversary of George Grinnell’s death in 1888. Born in Maryland, he served in the Army of the Potomac, then ventured west to Fort…

On this date in 1942, Harold Schafer founded the Gold Seal Company, one of the state’s largest homegrown businesses. Schafer was born near Stanton in…

Today is National Arbor Day, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates based on the best tree planting times. North Dakota’s Arbor Day comes a…

Yesterday we brought you part one of the story of Carl Ben Eielson, the first man to fly over the top of the world. We left him and his partner, George…