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Here's A Fact You Never Knew About Your Home State

Facts About US States That Will Surprise You

Here's Something You Never Knew About The US State You Live In

The [first-ever 911 call](https://alabamanewscenter.com/2015/06/05/which-alabama-town-is-home-to-the-nations-first-911-call-it-will-celebrate-first-responders-june-5-6/) was placed in Haleyville, Alabama in 1968!

The call

Alaska is the only state name that [can be typed on just one row of a keyboard](https://www.rd.com/culture/us-state-one-row-of-keys/).

The keyboard clicks

There was a UFO sighting in [Phoenix, Arizona in 1997](https://ktar.com/story/1490163/more-than-20-years-later-mystery-of-phoenix-lights-still-fascinates-people/). Hundreds of residents reported seeing strange lights in the sky for over an hour!

The UFOs

Arkansas is home to the [only active diamond mine](https://geology.com/gemstones/united-states-diamond-production.shtml) in the entire United States! It's located in [Crater of Diamonds State Park](https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/crater-diamonds-state-park) and is one of the only places in the world where people can search for diamonds at their original source.

The precious gems

California is the only state to have hosted both the summer and winter Olympics! It hosted the [1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932 and 1984](https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/olympics/dates.html). LA will host the [Summer Olympics once again in 2028](https://www.olympic.org/la-2028)!

The Olympic milestone

Nederland, Colorado is home to a decades-old, cryogenically-frozen human body. The people celebrate the man every year in a festival called [Frozen Dead Guy Days](https://frozendeadguydays.org/aboutfdgd).

The frozen dead guy

Connecticut passed the [first ever speed limit in 1901](https://www.buzzfeed.com/miniusanotnormal/14-bizarre-facts-you-never-knew-about-connecticut). It was a whopping 12 miles per hour!

The speed limit

There's a bug species that is only found in Delaware. The [Bethany Beach firefly](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/24/incredibly-rare-firefly-only-lights-up-bethany-bea/) was rediscovered in 1998, after disappearing for nearly 40 years!

The native bug

The Florida Everglades are the [only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live together](https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/crocodile.htm).

The wild natural phenomenon

Savannah, Georgia is often considered ["one of America's most haunted cities."](https://www.savannah.com/why-is-savannah-one-of-americas-most-haunted-cities/) They say it's because the city suffered so much war, disease, and fires in its early days!

The haunting in Savannah

Each Hawaiian island has its own [official color](https://traveltips.usatoday.com/islands-hawaiis-colors-107103.html)! Oahu is yellow, Maui is pink, Kauai is purple, Big Island Hawaii is red, Molokai is green, Lanai is orange, Kahoolawe is gray, and Niihau is white.

The colorful islands

Idaho's state seal is the [only one in the entire country designed by a woman](https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/bluebook/Histseal.htm). Emma Edwards Green designed it as part of a national contest.

The state seal

The world's tallest man ever — [Robert Wadlow](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/tallest-man-ever) — called Alton, Illinois home! He was 8 feet 11 inches.

The record-holder

Indiana is known as the Hoosier State, but it’s the [exact origins of “Hoosier” are pretty unclear](https://indianahistory.org/stories/what-is-a-hoosier/#.VlM0eN-rS8o).

The Hoosier dilemma

Sliced bread was invented in Iowa! [Otto Frederick Rohwedder](https://data.desmoinesregister.com/famous-iowans/ottto-rohwedder) came up with a device that would cut loaves of bread in consistent slices.

The greatest thing since sliced bread

Kansas is home to the [geographical center](http://www.kansastravel.org/geographicalcenter.htm) of America! It's a few miles northwest of Lebanon off of Highway 281.

The center of it all

The "Happy Birthday" song is [thought to have originated in Louisville, Kentucky](https://filsonhistorical.org/fun-facts-from-louisville-ky-the-happy-birthday-song/). There's still some [debate](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/29/who-really-wrote-the-happy-birthday-song-/2475837/) on the subject, but some origins of the song can be traced back to sisters sisters Patty and Mildred Hill.

The celebration song

Because of Louisiana's low elevation, the dead are often [laid to rest above ground in crypts and mausoleums](https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/attractions/cemeteries/) instead of being buried underground.

The crypt-keeper

Doughnut holes were invented in Maine. They were created by Capt. Hansen Gregory as a way to make sure the center of the doughnut was [cooked all the way through](https://wcyy.com/did-you-know-a-sailor-from-maine-invented-the-modern-day-doughnut/).

The hole story

The Baltimore Ravens football team is actually [named after Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Raven."](https://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/history/naming-the-team)

The literary connection

The pink flamingo lawn decoration was [invented in Leominster, Massachusetts](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-tacky-history-of-the-pink-flamingo-18191304/).

The lawn ornament

Like the Bermuda Triangle, the [Lake Michigan Triangle](https://www.nbc26.com/news/the-legend-of-the-lake-michigan-triangle) has been the site of many plane crashes and ship disappearances over the years.

The Michigan Triangle

Minnesota is often known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but that's not actually accurate — [the state has more than 11,000 lakes](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/water.html).

The land of lakes

Root beer was [invented in Biloxi, Mississippi](https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/barqs-root-beer/) in 1898!

The southern soda

St. Louis, Missouri hosted the [first-ever US Olympic Games](https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/1904-st-louis-hosted-first-olympics-american-soil-it-was-kind-mess#stream/0) back in the summer of 1904. It simultaneously hosted that year's [World's Fair](https://www.olympic.org/st-louis-1904)!

The jam-packed summer

Back in 1916, Jeanette Rankin from Missoula, Montana made history when she became the [first woman ever elected to Congress](https://www.visitmt.com/montana-stories/montana-pressroom/pressroom-resources/fun-facts.html).

The first woman

Kool-Aid was invented by [Edwin Perkins](https://history.nebraska.gov/publications/kool-aid) in Nebraska. It's also the state's official drink!

The sweet sips

Nevada is one of only [six states that doesn't have a lottery](https://abcnews.go.com/US/states-play-powerball/story?id=36267614)! The others are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Utah.

The lottery

The first widely-publicized alien abduction claim came from New Hampshire. Barney and Betty Hill reported that they had been [taken aboard an alien spacecraft back in 1961](https://www.history.com/news/first-alien-abduction-account-barney-betty-hill)!

The abduction

New Jersey is the only [state that's never had an official state song](https://www.nj.com/politics/2014/09/5_state_songs_for_nj_lawmakers_want_to_make_it_happen.html).

The song of silence

TV and radio producer, Ralph Edwards, emceed a show called _Truth or Consequences_ in the 1940s and '50s and wanted a town to [change its name to that of his show](https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/20-things-to-love-about-truth-or-consequences/). Hot Springs, New Mexico officially became Truth or Consequences in 1950!

Truth or Consequences

[Over 160 tons of gunpowder](https://www.centralparkhistory.com/timeline/timeline_1850_building.html) were used to clear the area that became Central Park. That's more than was fired during the Battle of Gettysburg!

The smoking gun

North Carolina is [one of only two states where it's possible to find a Venus flytrap](https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/plants/venus-flytrap/). The other one is South Carolina.

The carnivorous plant

North Dakota is either the 39th or 40th state. President Benjamin Harrison [shuffled the paperwork](https://bismarcktribune.com/news/columnists/curt-eriksmoen/how-n-d-became-a-state/article_479c5ea2-570a-11e0-aef8-001cc4c03286.html), making it impossible to tell whether North Dakota or South Dakota was admitted first.

The unclear origins

As of 2019, [25 astronauts have hailed from Ohio](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/12/15/why-so-many-astronauts-ohio/95426112/). These include [Neil Armstrong and John Glenn](https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/john-glenn-salutes-neil-armstrong-080144)!

The out-of-this-world connection

Cimarron County, Oklahoma is the only county in the US that [touches four other states](https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=CI003). Besides Oklahoma, it touches Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

The connected county

Oregon's flag is the only one in the US to have a [different design on each side](https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/oregon_state_flag/#.XRN4jJNKhKM).

The two sides of the story

Coffee milk is the [official state drink of Rhode Island](https://www.ri.gov/facts/factsfigures.php). It’s similar to chocolate milk, but you swap out chocolate syrup for coffee syrup.

The caffeinated milk

The Charleston Museum is commonly referred to as [“America’s First Museum."](https://www.charlestonmuseum.org/support-us/about-the-museum/) It was started by Charleston Library Society in 1773!

The first museum

The [most complete Tyrannosaurus fossil](https://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/cities-towns/faith) ever discovered was discovered near Faith, South Dakota in 1990!

The prehistoric discovery

Tennessee has [10 official state songs](https://www.tn.gov/about-tn/state-songs.html). The first one, "My Homeland Tennessee," was adopted in 1925, and the last one, "Tennessee," was adopted in 2012.

The musical moments

Texas is the [largest state in the continental US](https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/national-us/uncategorized/states-size), which is pretty impressive. However, it's actually [larger than any country in Western Europe](https://www.buzzfeed.com/gabrielsanchez/texas-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind).

The shocking size

The first KFC restaurant wasn't in Kentucky at all! It was [a few hundred miles away in Salt Lake City, Utah](https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700217162/Story-of-first-KFC-shows-anything-can-happen.html?pg=all).

The fried chicken

Montpelier, Vermont is the only state capital that [doesn't have a McDonald's](https://www.rd.com/food/fun/state-capital-without-mcdonalds/)!

The missing McDonald's

Lee County, Virginia is [closer to nine other state capitals than its own state capital](http://www.virginiaplaces.org/vacities/26capitals.html) of Richmond, Virginia. It's closer to the capitals of Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, and Alabama.

The great distance

Father's Day began as a [state-wide holiday in Washington](https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington)! It was created by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to find a way to honor her dad.

The state-wide holiday

The youngest and oldest governor of West Virginia is the [same person](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/us/29underwood.html)! Cecil Underwood was elected when he was 34, but he was unable to run for reelection because of term limits. He waited and was elected again when he was 74.

The governor

The [first kindergarten classes](https://www.wpr.org/nations-first-kindergarten-was-wisconsin) in America were held in Watertown, Wisconsin in 1856.

The classroom

Wyoming didn't raise the [legal drinking age from 19 to 21 until 1988](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-12-mn-858-story.html). It was the last state in the union to do so!

The holdout

In 1943, the Pittsburgh Stealers and Philadelphia Eagles formed the Steagles for one football season. They merged because both teams had [lost many players to service in WWII](https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/12/steagles-philadelphia-pittsburgh-nfl-throwback-thursday).

The Steagles

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Here's A Fact You Never Knew About Your Home State

Choose your state below to get a fascinating fact! Don't forget to click Retake Quiz at the end to learn more about the other 49!

Don't forget to retake the quiz to get more interesting facts!

Here's A Fact You Never Knew About Your Home State

Choose your state below to get a fascinating fact! Don't forget to click Retake Quiz at the end to learn more about the other 49!

Don't forget to retake the quiz to get more interesting facts!

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