One Fun Fact You've Never Learned About Each Of The 50 States
Barrels of bourbon at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky in 2020.
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- You probably learned basic facts about your home state like its flower or bird.
- But there are many more fun facts you might not know.
- In Kentucky, there are more barrels of bourbon than people.
Thanks to elementary school projects and random trivia games, you probably remember a few fun facts about your home state like the official bird, flower, or dessert.
But there are plenty of more obscure fun facts about each of the 50 states that may surprise you.
From New York being the first state to require license plates to Hawaii having the highest life expectancy rate, here's a fact about each state that'll impress your colleagues and give you a boost next time you play "Jeopardy!"
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Located in Scottsboro, Alabama, the Unclaimed Baggage Center is organized into 10 departments, including books, womenswear, menswear, electronics, and fine jewelry.
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Per Travel Alaska, the city experiences 85 days of the state's famous "midnight sun," as the sun stays above the horizon during this period from May to early August.
Conversely, the city also experiences a "polar night," where there's essentially no sunlight for two months during the winter.
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Also known as a bolo tie, the accessory was designated as Arizona's official neckwear in 1973.
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The 8.52-carat diamond was found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, in 2015 by Bobbie Oskarson, and she named it after her niece. The Esperanza Diamond was fashioned into a necklace and is worth an estimated $1 million, The Inspired Collection reported.
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One of the most famous ghost towns in California is Bodie. The gold-mining town was once home to 10,000 people, but was fully abandoned by 1942, with some people seemingly having packed their belongings mid-meal.
Photographer Dennis Ariza told BI in 2021 the town looked like "people were abducted by aliens" with homework still on desks in the school and "food on the table and pots on the stove" inside homes.
It's now a State Historic Park.
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Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of US presidents were born on the East Coast. Only two presidents have been born west of Texas: Richard Nixon, who was born in California, and Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii.
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The first phone book didn't actually list any phone numbers. Instead, it was a piece of cardboard with a list of 50 people and businesses who had phones, Smithsonian Magazine reported.
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Per the USDA, Delaware is home to over 200 million chickens. Meanwhile, the US Census Bureau reported that as of 2023, the state has a population of about 1 million people.
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The popular theme park is one of several no-fly zones in the US. Per the FAA, it received permanent no-fly zone status in 2014.
And yes, Disneyland in Anaheim, California is covered, too.
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Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville are the state's previous capitals.
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In 2020, the CDC reported that life expectancy in Hawaii was 80.7 years.
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This gorge is 2,000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon.
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The USDA reported that Illinois produced 634 million pounds of pumpkins in 2022 — that's more than the production of California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (the other top pumpkin-producing states) combined.
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You also can't catch a fish with firearms, a crossbow, or dynamite, per Visit Indiana. Good to know.
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In 2022, the USDA reported that Iowa had 23.4 million hogs and pigs, which was actually three percent less than 2021.
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Helium isn't just for balloons; it's a key component of medical technologies, manufacturing, space exploration, and national defense, reported the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.
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The Kentucky Distillers' Association reported that, as of 2022, there are 11.4 million barrels of bourbon in the state. That's about 2.5 barrels of bourbon per person.
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It's been the official drink of choice for Louisiana since 1983.
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Per the location's website, the Desert of Maine is home to 20 acres of sand dunes with history that dates back to the 1800s.
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The Library of Congress reported that the spooky board was first manufactured in Baltimore in 1890 for "supernatural communication."
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National Geographic reported that James Naismith created the 13 original rules of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts. The first public game was played in 1892.
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The state is shaped by four of the five Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Erie.
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Per the National Golf Foundation, 90% of the state's 477 golf courses are open to the public. That's 17% higher than the national average.
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Barq's Root Beer was invented in 1898.
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St. Louis Magazine reported that the daring jump was made by Army Captain Albert Berry in 1912.
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From January 14 to January 15, 1972, the temperature in Loma, Montana, rose 103 degrees Fahrenheit from -54 degrees Fahrenheit to 49 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Centers for Environmental Information reported.
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History Nebraska reported that the popular beverage powder was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, by Edwin Perkins in 1927. It has been the state's official soft drink since 1998.
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Smithsonian Magazine reported that many of the state's horses are part of the Virginia Range herd, also known as "Annie's Horses" after the work of activist Velma Johnston, also called "Wild Horse Annie."
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Shepard was born in Derry, New Hampshire, and on May 5, 1961, he became the first American to complete a suborbital mission, NASA reported. For his service, he was given NASA's highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, by President John F. Kennedy.
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Per the State of New Jersey, the Battle of Trenton was one notable battle that took place in the state.
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As a result of the higher elevation, Santa Fe Tourism warns visitors to be conscious of their alcohol intake, as one drink in Santa Fe is equivalent to three drinks at sea level.
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Time reported that New York Governor Benjamin Odell Jr. signed the bill into law on April 25, 1901.
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The state has held the No. 1 spot since 1971 and produces about 60% of the country's supply, the North Carolina History Project reported.
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The monument was created in 1932.
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This type of flag is called a burgee.
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Many of the man-made lakes were made to help with issues like flood control, water supply, and hydroelectric power, the Oklahoma Historical Society reported.
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Travel Portland reports that the city is home to about 70 breweries, and has a fitting nickname: "Beervana."
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The Philadelphia Zoo opened on July 1, 1874, and continues to operate today, housing more than 1,700 rare and endangered animals, per its website.
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The US Polo Association reported that James Gordon Bennett Jr. established the Westchester Polo Club, based in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1876.
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Per the state's Department of Agriculture, South Carolina produces "more than three times the amount" of peaches than Georgia.
It calls itself "the tastier peach state."
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CBS reported that the gold mine produced over 40 million ounces of gold during its 125 plus years of operation.
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In 2023, more than 13 million people visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park, National Geographic reported. Grand Canyon National Park, which is No. 2, only attracted 4.7 million visitors.
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Per the Dr Pepper Museum, pharmacist Charles Alderton invented the drink in Waco, Texas.
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The state is home to six national forests: Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-LaSal, Uinta, Ashley, and Wasatch.
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The state has only been outproduced twice: in 1918 and 1926, per the USDA.
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The secret society was named Phi Beta Kappa.
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Per the Washington Apple Commission, the state harvests 10-12 billion apples annually. The apple is also the official state fruit.
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Per the state, the name was discussed at a delegate convention in 1861 before "West Virginia" was officially selected. West Virginia became the country's 35th state in 1863.
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The keyboard layout was invented by Christopher Latham Sholes and Carlos Glidden, and their typewriter debuted in 1874, Smithsonian Magazine reported.
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Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected in 1925 after her husband died before finishing his term as governor, the National Governors Association reported. She went on to become vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and served two terms as director of the US Mint under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
