#throwbackthursdays

Whether you shop online, hit flea markets and garage sales, or peruse high-end antique stores, one Mayo Clinic-themed collectible item that frequently appears is the postage stamp that depicts William J. Mayo, M.D., and Charles H. Mayo, M.D. In addition to honoring the Mayo brothers, this stamp tells the story of citizen advocacy and the contributions of several artists.

Nancy Reagan liked to say she had a "magical friendship" with Mayo Clinic, since it was a future surgeon's sleight-of-hand that introduced her to the institution. Mrs. Reagan, who died March 6, 2016, was a loyal Mayo patient and advocate along with her husband, former President Ronald Reagan, for more than 30 years. But her initial ties to Mayo Clinic went back much further.

When construction crews broke ground on an expansion project for the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota, in 2015, one of the earliest decisions they and the City of Rochester faced was deciding what to do with the iconic bronze statue of Drs. William and Charles Mayo. The Mayo brothers had stood outside the building’s entrance for years, welcoming visitors to Rochester (and, as it turns out, hiding a time capsule beneath their feet).

When the iconic Plummer Building was constructed on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus during the late 1920s, the building's designer and namesake, Henry S. Plummer, M.D., made sure it included a number of bas relief caricatures that would help root the building in place and time.

The successful launch of Epic at Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin on July 8 recalls another milestone 110 years ago. On July 19, 1907, patient No. 1 registered in the new system designed by Henry Plummer, M.D., in collaboration with Mabel Root and other colleagues. The patient hailed from Canada—an early example of Mayo Clinic’s international reach.

Electric or gas-powered? It’s a question that drivers ponder as they weigh options for what kind of car to purchase. Charles Mayo, M.D., wrestled with a similar issue at the dawn of the 20th century. Moreover, Dr. Charlie had to consider another power source for his car that is unheard of today: steam.

Mayo Clinic cardiologist Gurpreet Sandhu, M.D., Ph.D., is on a one-man mission to restore interest in American and Indian history by bringing World War II Jeeps back to life.

In May, we wrote about the Mayo Clinic Peregrine Falcon Program's 30th anniversary. As of June 26, all three chicks have been named and have fledged. View this post to see the photos of little Generose, Epic, and Lucky Lindy.

This story was told by Gary and Virginia Chalberg of Kingman, Arizona, who were visiting family at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix. While there, Gary, 84, asked if he could share the story of his dad’s first patient experience at Mayo Clinic in 1939.

From surgical procedures to committee meetings, activities at Mayo Clinic are scheduled around “orange days” and “blue days.” How and why did those colors come to be?

They called him the "Iron Horse" and the "Pride of the Yankees." But when baseball great Lou Gehrig came to Mayo Clinic in June 1939, his name became associated with an illness called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Today, ALS is known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Last month, Mayo Clinic hosted a pair of distinguished visitors: Gerard and Margit Moes. The couple traveled from their home in Luxembourg to Rochester, Minnesota, to see and learn more about the place Gerard's ancestor, Mother Alfred Moes, famously helped to create back in the late 1800s.

From the horse-drawn ambulance circa 1905 to a state-of-the-art helicopter and fixed-wing services of today, Mayo Clinic has been a leader in the safe, effective transportation of patients. Watch this video to see Mayo Clinic’s journey of medical transportation.