Magnus "Wolf" Larsen

Magnus "Wolf" Larsen

In the 20th episode of 200 Norwegians, we tell the story of Magnus “Wolf” Larsen, a Norwegian-American boxer whose career rose quickly—and unraveled just as fast.

Born in southern Norway in 1901, Larsen grew up in a family of Travelers and experienced violence and instability from an early age. After coming to the United States, he emerged as a powerful amateur boxer, winning both the New York State and national amateur championships in 1921.

Turning professional, Larsen faced some of the leading fighters of his time, including Gene Tunney. But longer bouts, heavy drinking, and poor decisions undermined his career. Within a few years, he was banned from boxing in New York and drifted through smaller venues and countries, eventually ending up on the margins of the Norwegian immigrant community.

This episode examines Larsen’s brief rise and long decline, and what his life reveals about opportunity, risk, and failure in early twentieth-century immigrant America.

Episoder(20)

Stein Eriksen

Stein Eriksen

In the 19th episode of 200 Norwegians, we tell the story of a man who became the face of an entire sport.   Long before skiing was mainstream in the United States, Stein Eriksen helped trans...

2 Jan 30min

Thorstein Veblen

Thorstein Veblen

In the 18th episode of 200 Norwegians, we tell the story of Thorstein Veblen, a Norwegian-American thinker who spent his life trying to understand why wealthy societies so often lose their way. Veblen...

21 Des 202532min

Knut Hovden

Knut Hovden

In the 17th episode of 200 Norwegians, you learn about Knut Hovden. He was born on a storm-beaten island outside Bergen in 1880, a frail boy who couldn’t join the fishermen at sea. Instead, he watched...

5 Des 20251h 30min

Campbell Norsgaard

Campbell Norsgaard

The sixteenth episode of 200 Norwegians tells the story of Campbell Norsgaard, the photographer who risked his life to document Norway under Nazi occupation—and later captured its rebirth. Imprisoned ...

7 Nov 202543min

Per Lysne

Per Lysne

In this episode of 200 Norwegians, we explore how one man’s brushstrokes brought a fading folk art back to life. With insights from Patti Goke, a Vesterheim Gold Medalist, and Håkon Lysne, president o...

25 Okt 202526min

Leif Erikson

Leif Erikson

In the 14th episode of 200 Norwegian, we tell the story of Leif Erikson—the first European to reach North America—and how his place in U.S. history was revived a thousand years later. We trace Helge I...

9 Okt 202532min

Ole Evinrude

Ole Evinrude

The thirteenth episode of 200 Norwegians tells the story of Ole Evinrude, the man who invented the first successful outboard motor. Born in Norway and raised in Wisconsin, Evinrude struggled through ...

3 Okt 202531min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
alt-fortalt
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
grenselos
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
min-barneoppdragelse
fladseth
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-frekvens-med-anine-olsen
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
198-land-med-einar-trnquist