This Day in History: May 11

Here’s a brief look back in time for this day, May 11.

In 1858, the Territory of Minnesota joins the Union and becomes the 32nd U.S. state. Known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, its acreage is regarded as one of the most beautiful natural landscapes to grace the American Midwest.

In 1987, the “Butcher of Lyon” is charged with dozens of counts related to crimes against humanity for his part in the killing of thousands of Jews during World War II. Niklaus Barbie was found in Bolivia after a decades-long manhunt. He had served as the head of the Gestapo in Lyon, France, where he personally tortured and killed Jewish prisoners. It was discovered he had surrendered to the U.S. government in 1947 and was later hired as an intelligence operative. In exchange for his services, he was given money and protection. He was then shipped to South America with a new identity, where thousands of other former Nazis also sought refuge. Barbie was discovered to have been helping build internment camps under the Bolivian dictator Hugo Suarez, where he was extradited to France years later. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died of cancer in 1991 while incarcerated.