Mar 27, 2011

Fifty States and Fifty Fun Facts (US)


StateHome of
AlabamaGeorge Washington Carver, who discovered more than 300 uses for peanuts
AlaskaThe longest coastline in the U.S., 6,640 miles, greater than that of all other states combined
ArizonaThe most telescopes in the world, in Tucson
ArkansasThe only active diamond mine in the U.S.
California“General Sherman,” a 3,500-year-old tree, and a stand of bristlecone pines 4,000 years old are the world's oldest living things
ColoradoThe world's largest silver nugget (1,840 pounds) found in 1894 near Aspen
ConnecticutThe first American cookbook, published in Hartford in 1796:American Cookery by Amelia Simmons
DelawareThe first log cabins in North America, built in 1683 by Swedish immigrants
FloridaU.S. spacecraft launchings from Cape Canaveral, formerly Cape Kennedy
GeorgiaThe Girl Scouts, founded in Savannah by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912
HawaiiThe only royal palace in the U.S. (Iolani)
IdahoThe longest main street in America, 33 miles, in Island Park
IllinoisThe tallest building in the U.S., Sears Tower, in Chicago
IndianaThe famous car race: the Indy 500
IowaThe shortest and steepest railroad in the U.S., Dubuque: 60° incline, 296 feet
KansasHelium discovered in 1905 at the University of Kansas
KentuckyThe largest underground cave in the world: 300 miles long, the Mammoth-Flint Cave system
LouisianaThe most crayfish: 98% of the world's crayfish
MaineThe most easterly point in the U.S., West Quoddy Head1
MarylandThe first umbrella factory in the U.S., 1928, Baltimore
MassachusettsThe first World Series, 1903: the Boston “Americans” (became the Red Sox in 1908) vs. the Pittsburg Pirates (Pittsburgh had no “h” between 1890–1911)
MichiganThe Cereal Bowl of America, Battle Creek, produces most cereal in the U.S.
MinnesotaThe oldest rock in the world, 3.8 billion years old, found in Minnesota River valley
MississippiCoca-Cola, first bottled in 1894 in Vicksburg
MissouriMark Twain and some of his characters, such as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
MontanaGrasshopper Glacier, named for the grasshoppers that can still be seen frozen in ice
NebraskaThe only roller skating museum in the world, in Lincoln
NevadaRare fish such as the Devils Hole pup, found only in Devils Hole, and other rare fish from prehistoric lakes; also the driest state
New HampshireArtificial rain, first used near Concord in 1947 to fight a forest fire
New JerseyThe world's first drive-in movie theater, built in 1933 near Camden
New Mexico“Smokey Bear,” a cub orphaned by fire in 1950, buried in Smokey Bear Historical State Park in 1976
New YorkThe first presidential inauguration: George Washington took the oath of office in New York City on April 30, 1789.
North CarolinaVirginia Dare, the first English child born in America, on Roanoake Island in 1587
North DakotaThe geographic center of North America, in Pierce County, near Balta
OhioThe first electric traffic lights, invented and installed in Cleveland in 1914
OklahomaThe first parking meter, installed in Oklahoma City in 1935
OregonThe world's smallest park, totaling 452 inches, created in Portland on St. Patrick's Day for leprechauns and snail races
PennsylvaniaThe first magazine in America: the American Magazine,published in Philadelphia for 3 months in 1741
Rhode IslandRhode Island Red chickens, first bred in 1854; the start of poultry as a major American industry
South CarolinaThe first tea farm in the U.S., created in 1890 near Summerville
South DakotaThe world's largest natural, indoor warmwater pool, Evans' Plunge in Hot Springs
TennesseeGraceland, the estate and gravesite of Elvis Presley
TexasNASA, in Houston, headquarters for all piloted U.S. space projects
UtahRainbow Bridge, the largest natural stone bridge in the world, 290 feet high, 275 feet across
VermontThe largest production of maple syrup in the U.S.
VirginiaThe only full-length statue of George Washington, placed in capitol in 1796
WashingtonLunar Rover, the vehicle used by astronauts on the moon; Boeing, in Seattle, makes aircraft and spacecraft
West VirginiaMarbles; most of the country's glass marbles made around Parkersburg
WisconsinThe typewriter, invented in Milwaukee in 1867
WyomingThe “Register of the Desert,” a huge granite boulder covering 27 acres with 5,000 early pioneer names carved on it

Measured from the geographic center of the United States.

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