This Is Minnesota’s ‘Most Impactful’ Invention

There have been a lot of items we use everyday that were invented right here in Minnesota, but this one has been named the 'most impactful,' according to a new survey. Do you know what it is?

Well, according to a new survey by Mid-America Nazerene University, the invention made here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes that had the greated "impact on modern society in some way" was... the implantable pacemaker.

Yeah, that's a pretty big, impactful invention, alright. What I didn't know is that it was invented here in Minnesota, but not at Mayo Clinic, as I first guessed. (When I hear of any pioneering medical treatment, Mayo always leaps to my mind!)

Turns out, the implantable pacemaker was actually invented in Minneapolis back in 1957 by Earl Bakken, whose company would go on to become the high-tech know now as Medtronic. It was the first pacemaker that could be placed completely inside the body.

So now you know. Back in my home state of Wisconsin, the most impactful invention is the... space suit. (I lived in Wisconsin for 42 and didn't know that was invented there!)

You can check the full list of impactful inventions from each state HERE.