Indiana Fun Facts(Post your home`state facts) [Archive]

MERCMAN

10-17-2007, 05:48 PM

Facts about Indiana : I'll bet you didn't know......

Tomato juice was first served at a French Lick, Indiana hotel

in 1925.

The first tomato juice factory was also in French Lick, IN.

The world's largest orchid species collection is found at Ball
State University in Muncie , Indiana .

The first regulated speed limit (20 - 25 mph!) was initiated on

Indiana roads in 1921.

An average of 400 funnel clouds are sighted each year in
Indiana .

The city of Gary , Indiana , was built on fill brought from the
bottom of Lake Michigan through suction pipes.

There are only two Adams fireplaces in the United States .
One is in the White House and the other in the Diner Home
in Indiana .

Josie Orr, wife of former Indiana Governor Robert Orr, flew
bombers and cargo planes during World War II.

The Indianapolis Methodist Hospital is the largest Hospital
in the Midwest .

One of the first complete bathrooms in Indianapolis was in
the home of Hoosier poet, James Whitcomb Riley.

The career of Dorothy Lamour (famous for the Bing Crosby-

Bob Hope Road Movies) was launched in Indianapolis .

Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was once a Professor at Purdue
University.

Crown Hill Cemetery ( Indianapolis ) is the largest cemetery
in the U.S.

The library in Fort Wayne , Allen County, Indiana houses
one of the largest genealogy libraries in America .

Wabash , Indiana was the first electrified city in the U.S.

Pendleton , Indiana was the site of the first hanging of a

white man for killing Indians.

The Courthouse roof in Greensburg , Indiana has a tree
growing from it.

The world's first transistor radio was made in Indianapolis .

Clark Gable and wife Carole Lombard (born in Fort Wayne ,

IN) honeymooned at Lake Barbee near Warsaw , Indiana .

The American Beauty Rose was developed at Richmond ,
Indiana .

Elkhart , Indiana is the band instrument capitol of the World.

Frank Sinatra first sang with the Tommy Dorsey band at the

Lyric Theater in Indianapolis .

Purdue Alumnus, Earl Butz, served as the Secretary of
Agriculture.

U.S. 231 is the longest highway in Indiana (231miles).

Johnny Appleseed is buried at Fort Wayne , Indiana .

The singing McGuire Sisters spent their childhood summers
at the Church of God Campground in Anderson , Indiana .

The main station of the Underground Railroad was in
Fountain County , Indiana .

There are 154 acres of sculpture gardens and trails at the

Indianapolis Museum of Art.

La Porte County is the only county in America having 2
functioning courthouses. (I think we can add Vanderburgh
and Elkhart Counties in with that also.)

Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried in Posey County , Indiana .

Crawfordsville , Indiana ( Montgomery County ) is the only
site in the world where crinoids are found. (What is a crinoid,
you ask? A form of deep-water marine life that looks
something like a starfish.)

Pendleton , Indiana was the site of the 'Fall Creek Massacre'.
A museum housing 3500 artifacts of pioneer heritage now
exists on that site.

St. Meinrad Archabbey is located in Spencer County and is

one of only 2 archabbeys in the U.S. and seven in the world.
(Abbey Press is an operation of the archabbey.)

A Buzz Bomb (German - WWII), believed to be the only one
on public display in the nation, can be found on the Putnam

County Courthouse lawn in Greencastle.

Roberta Turpin Willett was born in Indiana .

Red Skelton was born in Vincennes , Indiana .

May West and Claude Akins were from Bedford , Indiana .

The inventor of the television, Philo T. Farnsworth, lived in

Fort Wayne , Indiana .

Forrest Tucker was from Pendleton , Indiana .

You can't ship wine to Indiana . (So how does it get here?)

Bob Greise is from Evansville , Indiana and was quarterback at Purdue

University in West Lafayette , IN.

Toni Tenille (of The Captain and Tenille) is from Indiana .

Oprah Winfrey built her residence in N/W Indiana .

Florence Henderson is from Indiana .

The much sought-after Hoosier Cabinets are an Indiana

product.

90% of the world's popcorn is grown in Indiana .

The Jackson Five are from Gary , Indiana .

The birthplace of the automobile, the pneumatic rubber tire,
the aluminum casting process, stainless steel and the first

push-button car radio was in Kokomo , Indiana .

Pretty neat, huh? And you thought there was only corn in
Indiana .

CBT

10-17-2007, 05:53 PM

All the trees in in Tennessee lean North. Cause Kentucky sucks.

Ken

10-17-2007, 07:52 PM

All the trees in in Tennessee lean North. Cause Kentucky sucks. That explains all of the trees leaning south in Indiana too. :lol:

Ken

SC Cheesehead

10-17-2007, 08:51 PM

WISCONSIN FUN FACTS:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>The Green Bay Packers, the last remaining publicly owned pro sports team, have won more NFL titles and retained their team name longer than any other in history (since 1919). With season-ticket holders from around the world, the team's waiting list has more than 67,500 names, and the legendary Lambeau Field has been in continuous use since 1957.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
The University of Wisconsin Badgers are the only Big Ten team ever to win back-to-back Rose Bowls (1999 & 2000).

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
The Milwaukee Mile is the oldest major racetrack in the world.

Northeastern Wisconsin’s Fox River is one of the few rivers in the nation that flows north.
The Kickapoo River, located in Crawford County, is known as "the crookedest river" in the world.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Wisconsin leads the nation in the production of low-horsepower gasoline engines, power cranes, shovel hoists, mining machinery and other types of industrial equipment along with industrial controls and x-ray equipment.

Wisconsin is the largest producer of cheese in the nation, producing more than 350 different varieties of cheese.

Wisconsin is known as the "Beer Capital of the United States."

Wisconsin is the nation’s leading cranberry producer, accounting for nearly 48 percent of the nation’s total crop.

Wisconsin is the nation’s leading producer of ginseng.

The first circus in the United States was performed in Delavan. The Ringling Brothers put on their first circus performance in 1884 in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Each August, Wisconsin hosts the largest experimental aviation event in the world, the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.

Hayward is the home to the largest muskie in the world, a four-story replica at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

The world's largest carousel is located at House on the Rock in Spring Green.
America’s largest waterpark, Noah’s Ark, is located in Wisconsin Dells.

Sheboygan is the "Bratwurst Capital of the World."

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Milwaukee’s Summerfest is the world’s biggest outdoor music festival, drawing nearly one million visitors per year.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Mount Horeb’s internationally known Mustard Museum holds the world’s largest collection of mustards, totaling more than 3,500 varieties.

Port Washington is home to the world's largest one-day, outdoor fish fry, which takes place every July.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Kewaunee is home to the world's largest grandfather clock, which stands 35 feet tall.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>The Milwaukee Public Museum has the world's largest collection of typewriters, totaling more than 700.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=737 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
The exact geographic center of the northwest hemisphere is located in Poniatowski, just a few miles west of Wausau.

Pretty impressive, eh!
SCCH

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

MM03MOK

10-18-2007, 05:15 AM

Massachusetts Facts and Trivia


552 original documents pertaining to the Salem witch trials of 1692 have been preserved and are still stored by the Peabody Essex Museum.
Boston built the first subway system in the United States in 1897.
Although over 30 communities in the colonies eventually renamed themselves to honor Benjamin Franklin. The Massachusetts Town of Franklin was the first and changed its name in 1778.
Norfolk County is the birthplace of four United States presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George Herbert Walker Bush.
In Holyoke, William G. Morgan, created a new game called "Mintonette" in 1895. After a demonstration given at the YMCA in nearby Springfield, the name "Mintonette" was replaced with the now familiar name "Volleyball."
There is a house in Rockport built entirely of newspaper.
Hingham's Derby Academy founded in 1784 is the oldest co-educational school in the United States. Hingham's First Parish Old Ship Church is the oldest church structure in the United States in continuous use as a place of worship.
The Fig Newton was named after Newton, Massachusetts.
The visible portion of Plymouth Rock is a lumpy fragment of glacial moraine about the size of a coffee table, with the date 1620 cut into its surface. After being broken, dragged about the town of Plymouth by ox teams used to inspire Revolution-aries, and reverently gouged and sc***** by 19th-century souvenir hunters, it is now at rest near the head of Plymouth Harbor.
The Basketball Hall Of Fame is located in Springfield.
James Michael Curley was the first mayor of Boston to have an automobile. The plate number was "576" - the number of letters in "James Michael Curley." The mayor of Boston's official car still uses the same number on its plate.
The American industrial revolution began in Lowell. Lowell was America's first planned industrial city.
On October 1, 1998, "Say Hello To Someone From Massachusetts" by Lenny Gomulka, was approved as the official polka of the Commonwealth.
1634: Boston Common became the first public park in America.
1891: The first basketball game was played in Springfield.
Massachusetts holds the two largest cites in New England, Boston, the largest, and Worcester.
The creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which was formerly private town and state owned land, marked the first time the federal government purchased land for a park.
Robert Goddard, inventor of the first liquid fueled rocket, was born and lived much of his life in Worcester and launched the first rocket fueled with liquid fuel from the neighboring town of Auburn.
Quincy boasts the first Dunkin Donuts on Hancock Street and the first Howard Johnson's on Newport Ave.
Glaciers formed the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard during the ice age.
The first U.S.Postal zip code in Massachusetts is 01001 at Agawam.
Brewster has become the de facto "Wedding Capital of Cape Cod" because of its many small and larger inns that cater to weddings.
The birth control pill was invented at Clark University in Worcester.
The signs along the Massachusetts Turnpike reading "x miles to Boston" refer to the distance from that point to the gold dome of the state house.
Harvard was the first college established in North America. Harvard was founded in 1636. Because of Harvard's size there is no universal mailing address that will work for every office at the University.
In 1838 the Boston & West Worcester Railroad was the first railroad to charge commuter fares.
The Boston University Bridge on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.
The Mather school was founded in Dorchester in 1639. It is the first public elementary school in America.
On top of the commercial building on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain sits a weather vane with a whale on it. The building was once state headquarters of Greenpeace. - "Save the whales"
John Adams and John Quincy Adams are buried in the crypt at the United First Parish Church in Quincy.
The Children's Museum in Boston displays a giant milk bottle on the museum's wharf. If it were real it would hold 50,000 gallons of milk and 8,620 gallons of cream.
Princeton was named after the Reverend Thomas Prince, Pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, and one of the first proprietors of the town. Princeton was incorporated in 1759.
Barnstable County is the only Massachusetts county where resident deaths out numbered births between 1990 and 1997.
The Pilgrim National Wax Museum in Plymouth is the only wax museum devoted entirely to the Pilgrim's story.
In 1908, Miss Caroline O. Emmerton purchased The House of the Seven Gables - built in 1668 - restored it to its present state and, in 1910, opened the site to the touring public. The seven-gabled house inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his famous novel of the same name.
The Boston Tea Party reenactment takes place in Boston Harbor every December 16th.
Balance Rock in Lanesborough is named in honor of a 25' x 15' x 10 boulder that balances upon a small stone below it.
Massachusetts first began issuing drivers licenses and registration plates in June of 1903.
The 3rd Monday in April is a legal holiday in Massachusetts called Patriot's Day.
The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in Plymouth in 1621.
William Hill Brown published The Power of Sympathy in Worcester in 1789. An imitation of Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther it is regarded as the first American novel.
The fourteen counties in Massachusetts are made up of 43 cities and 308 towns.
Charles Goodyear in Woburn first vulcanized rubber in 1839.
Elias Howe of Boston invented the first sewing machine in 1845.
The first nuclear-powered surface vessel, USS Long Beach CG (N) 9, was launched at Quincy in 1961.
The USS Constitution 'Old Ironsides', the oldest fully commissioned vessel in the US Navy is permanently berthed at Charlestown Navy Yard. Since 1897 the ship has been overhauled several times in Dry Dock 1.
Revere Beach was the first public beach in the United States and is host to Suffolk Downs horse racing track, Wonderland dog racing track and a 14-screen cinema complex.
The official state dessert of Massachusetts is Boston cream pie.
Milford is known the world over for its unique pink granite, discovered in the 1870's and quarried for many years to grace the exteriors of museums, government buildings, monuments and railroad stations.
Acushnet is the hometown of the Titleist golf ball company.

Bluerauder

10-18-2007, 08:30 AM

Virginia Facts and Trivia

1. Virginia was named for England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I.

2. The major cash crop of Virginia is tobacco and many of the people who live there earn their living from the tobacco industry.

3. Jamestown, the first of the original 13 Colonies was founded for the purpose of silk cultivation. Silk to be traded with the Court of King James. After blight fungus destroyed the mulberry trees (silkworm food), sericulturist planted tobacco as a cash crop.

4. Jamestown was the first English settlement in the U.S. It was also the first capital of Virginia.

5. Virginia is known as "the birthplace of a nation".

6. Arlington County was originally part of the ten-mile square parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be part of Washington, DC. The U.S. Congress returned that portion of the land to the "Commonwealth of Virginia" following a referendum among its citizens.

7. Eight United States Presidents were born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.

8. Six Presidents' wives were born in Virginia: Martha Washington, Martha Jefferson, Rachel Jackson, Letitia Tyler, Ellen Arthur, Edith Wilson.

9. Seven Presidents are buried in Virginia: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Tyler, Taft and Kennedy.

10. The present state capital in Richmond was also the capital of the Confederacy.

11. The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg is the second oldest in the United States, it was founded in 1693.

12. The State nickname is "Old Dominion".

13. The State flower is not really a flower, but the blossom of the dogwood tree, which is also the state tree.

14. The first peanuts grown in the United States were grown in Virginia.

15. The Blue Ridge Mountains are located in Virginia.

16. The American Revolution ended with the surrender of Cornwallis in Yorktown.

17. On March 9, 1862 at Hampton Roads, Virginia, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimac) met in one of the most famous naval engagements in US history. Their battle, the first of its kind between metal armored vessels, changed for all time the nature of naval warfare.

18. 10th of the 13 original colonies, Virginia was admitted to the union June 25, 1788.

19. The state motto is "Sic Semper Tyrannis". (Thus always to tyrants)

20. Union Passenger Railway was the first successful electric street railway transit agency. It was formed in 1888 at Richmond.

21. The states of Kentucky & West Virginia were formed from sections of the state of Virginia

22. About 1/2 of all the people in the United States live within a 500 mile radius of the Capital of Virginia.

23. Virginia has had 3 capital cities: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Richmond.

24. Richmond was also the capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War

25. Over 1/2 the battles fought in the civil war were fought in Virginia. Over 2,200 of the 4,000 battles.

26. In Virginia more people work for the United States government than any other industry. About 1/4 of Virginia's workers.

27. Virginia's largest private employer is also the world's largest ship building yard.

28. Virginia is the home base for the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet.

29. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in Arlington National Cemetery.

30. The Pentagon building in Arlington is the largest office building in the world.

31. The Pentagon has nearly 68,000 miles of internal telephone lines.

32. Dulles International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world.

33. General Thomas Jackson got his nickname "Stonewall" in Manassass. The site of 2 major Civil War Battles.

34. The first Thanksgiving in North America was held in Virginia in 1619.

35. Yorktown is the site of the final victory of the American Revolution.

36. Virginia has been dubbed the "Internet Capital of the world".

37. The Atlantic headquarters of NATO is located in Norfolk.

38. The Great Dismal Swamp is in Virginia near the North Carolina border.

39. Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia. Its population is expected to surpass 500,000 residents by 2010.

40. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is the world's largest bridge-tunnel complex.

41. Wild Ponies have roamed freely on Assateague Island for centuries.

42. The world's only oyster museum is on Chincoteague Island.

43. Busch Garden's Old Country Theme Park is located near Williamsburg.

44. President Thomas Jefferson designed his own home and called it Monticello.

45. George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, is located in Virginia.

46. Robert E. Lee, Commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses Grant, General-in-Chief of all United States forces, on April 9, 1865 at the Appomattox Court House.

47. Patrick Henry made his "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech in St. John's Church in Richmond.

48. Bristol is legally two cities but they share the same main street. One in Virginia and one in Tennessee each with its own government and city services.

49. Waynesboro was the site of the last major battle of the Civil War in central Virginia, the Battle of Waynesboro in 1865 between Generals Jubal Early and Philip Sheridan.

50. Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls has an early 19-century wooden water wheel and operating gristmill. The old Miller's House features an exhibit about the process of milling and the families who operated the mill.

Bluerauder

10-18-2007, 08:38 AM

Massachusetts Facts and Trivia


The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in Plymouth in 1621.
Ha, Ha. Virginia also claims the first Thanksgiving in North America in 1619. Two years before you folks up north. :rofl: Guess ya'll didn't get invited. ;)

Bluerauder

10-18-2007, 08:47 AM

:laugh:

Facts about Indiana : I'll bet you didn't know......

90% of the world's popcorn is grown in Indiana .

:popcorn: Ha, Ha, Ha. You can't grow popcorn. You have to put it in the microwave like everyone else. :rofl:

BruteForce

10-18-2007, 12:14 PM

The state of Washington is the only state to be named after a United States president.

Seattle is home to the first revolving restaurant (Space Needle), 1961.

Washington state produces more apples than any other state in the union.

Washington state has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined.

Washington state's capitol building was the last state capitol building to be built with a rotunda.

Everett is the site of the world's largest building, Boeing's final assembly plant

Medina is the home of the United States wealthiest man, Microsoft's Bill Gates.

The Northwestern most point in the contiguous U.S. is Cape Flattery on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

King county the largest county in Washington was originally named after William R. King, Vice President under Franklin Pierce; it was renamed in 1986, after civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Microsoft Corporation is located in Redmond.

Before it became a state, the territory was called Columbia (named after the Columbia River). When it was granted statehood, the name was changed to Washington, supposedly so people wouldn't confuse it with The District of Columbia.

The highest point in Washington is Mount Rainier. It was named after Peter Rainier, a British soldier who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War.

The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge at Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge in the world. The bridge connects Seattle and Medina across Lake Washington.

Washington is the birthplace of both Jimi Hendrix (Seattle) and Bing Crosby (Tacoma).

The oldest operating gas station in the United States is in Zillah.

Washington's state insect is the Green Darner Dragonfly.

The world's first soft-serve ice cream machine was located in an Olympia Dairy Queen.

Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain in the world was founded in Seattle.

Spokane was the smallest city in size to host a World's Fair. - 1974

The state capital is Olympia, and the largest city is Seattle.

As of the 2000 census, the state population was approximately 5.9 million and the state work force numbered about 3.1 million.

Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone).

Washington is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west; Oregon to the south (the Columbia River forming most of this border); Idaho to the east and British Columbia, Canada to the north.

Puget Sound's many islands are served by the largest ferry fleet in the United States.

The forests of the Olympic Peninsula are among the rainiest places in the world and the only rainforests (such as the Hoh Rain Forest) in the continental United States

The first European record of a landing on the Washington coast was by Spanish Captain Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775, on board the Santiago, part of a two-ship flotilla with the Sonora.

The Lewis and Clark expedition entered the state on October 10, 1805.

The first settlement in Washington was New Market (now known as Tumwater) in 1846.

In 1853, Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.

Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.

Early prominent industries in the state included agriculture, lumber, shipping, fishing, salmon canning and mining.

By the turn of the 20th century, Aberdeen had the distinction of being "the roughest town west of the Mississippi" because of excessive gambling, violence, extreme drug use and prostitution (the city remained off-limits to military personnel into the early 1980s).

The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during World War I and World War II, and the Boeing company became an established icon in the area.

During the Great Depression, a series of hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia river as part of a project to increase the production of electricity. This culminated in 1941 with the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest dam in the United States.

During World War II, Seattle was the point of departure for many soldiers in the Pacific, a number of which were quartered at Golden Gardens Park.

In eastern Washington the Hanford Works atomic energy plant was opened in 1943 and played a major role in the construction of the nation's atomic bombs.

In 1980, the northeast face of Mount St. Helens exploded outward, destroying a large part of the top of the volcano.

As of 2004, Washington's population included 631,500 foreign-born (10.3% of the state population), and an estimated 100,000 illegal aliens (1.6% of state population).

The six largest reported ancestries in Washington are: German (18.7%), English (12%), Irish (11.4%), Norwegian (6.2%), Mexican (5.6%) and Filipino (3.7%).

Washington is home to many innovative Internet companies, including Amazon.com, Classmates.com, Whitepages.com, and Marchex.

The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state, and church membership is among the lowest of all states.

The state of Washington is one of only seven states that does not levy a personal income tax.

Property tax was the first tax levied in the state of Washington and its collection accounts for about 30 percent of Washington's total state and local revenue.

In 2004 Washington ranked first in the nation in production of red raspberries (90.0% of total U.S. production), hops (75.0%), apples (58.1%), sweet cherries (47.3%), pears (42.6%), Concord grapes (39.3%), and Niagara grapes (31.6%).

There are 140 public airfields in Washington, including 16 state airports.

Washington is home to four of the five longest floating bridges in the world: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and Homer M. Hadley Bridge over Lake Washington, and the Hood Canal Bridge connecting the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas.

Three ships of the United States Navy, including two battleships, have been named USS Washington in honor of the state.

United Airlines was originally owned by the Boeing Airplane Company.

Popular games Pictionary, Pickle-ball, and Cranium were all invented in Washington.

The town of Artic was to be named 'Arta' after the wife of the town founder. The application was misread and resulted in the unusual spelling of the word Artic.

Bluerauder

10-18-2007, 01:02 PM

Before it became a state, the territory was called Columbia (named after the Columbia River). When it was granted statehood, the name was changed to Washington, supposedly so people wouldn't confuse it with The District of Columbia.

So, how's this ^^^^ working out. Not too well, I think. ;)

Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone).

Just like the people from DC. :D

Blackened300a

10-18-2007, 02:11 PM

Fun Facts about NY

New York City was once the capital of the United States. George Washington (http://www.history.com/genericContent.do?id=53303) was inaugurated as the first president in downtown Manhattan.
Over 6 million people visit Niagara Falls each year to watch over 200,000 cubic feet of water splash over 167-foot-high cliffs—some even have gone over in barrels.
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The Statue of Liberty (http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=2147 51) on Liberty Island near Manhattan served as a symbol of freedom to immigrants seeking a better life in the United States.
One might think that the city of Buffalo was named after the animal, but historians think otherwise. In 1780, Seneca Indians established a village on the site of the future city in an area long visited by French explorers, and named it for a nearby stream known as Buffalo Creek. But the likely origin of the stream's name was not the animal, but a corruption of the French term beau fleuve, which means beautiful river.
A brewer named Matthew Vassar founded Vassar College in Poughkeepsie in 1861.
The 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair was actually held in Bethel.
New York City has 722 miles of subway track.
Chittenago was the home of L. Frank Baum (http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=2024 26), author of the Wizard of Oz. It features yellow brick inlaid sidewalks leading to Aunti Em's and other Oz-themed businesses. Chittenago is the location of an annual Munchkins parade.
The first daily Yiddish newspaper appeared in 1885 in New York City.
The "New York Post" established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton (http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=2113 37) is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.
The first railroad in America ran a distance of 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady.
The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north.
On July 28, 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building.
European settlers who brought seeds to New York introduced apples in the 1600s.
The oldest cattle ranch in the United States was started in 1747 at Montauk on Long Island.
Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic Parks combined.
The name Canandaigua (pronounced Can-an-DAY-gwa) is derived from a Native American word meaning "the chosen spot."
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time—The Big Apple.

BruteForce

10-18-2007, 04:27 PM

Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone).

Just like the people from DC. :D

Better than being call "Virgins". :eek:

RCSignals

10-18-2007, 04:57 PM

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OR-Facts.html

TooManyFords

10-18-2007, 05:06 PM

Iowa became the 29th state on December 28th, 1846, after Congress finally persuaded the state to change its name from "Corntopia".

The state flag of Iowa consists of three vertical stripes of blue, white, and red, much like the French flag. To prevent confusion, the white section of Iowa's flag contains the international symbol for "No Surrender Monkeys".

The state bird of Iowa is the goldfinch, which should not be confused with any criminal masterminds who tried to kill James Bond.

Iowa contains exactly 99 counties. The legendary "lost 100th county" is currently being sought by a ragtag band of spaceships fleeing from the evil Cylon Empire.

Geographically, Iowa is one of the flattest states in the US, but it IS considering getting implants so that South Dakota will FINALLY pay attention to it.

Iowa was nicknamed the "Hawkeye State" after the popular deep-fried delicacy served in most of the state's taverns.

The 31st president of the US - Herbert Hoover - was born in West Branch, Iowa. The Hoover Dam was named in his honor, since its construction was made possible by his invention of the concrete beaver.

The state song of Iowa is "Corn! Corn! Corn!", which consists entirely of people singing the word "corn" for 5 minutes, and was the inspiration for Monthy Python's "Spam" sketch.

The state tree of Iowa is the oak tree, because... well, they had to choose SOMETHING, and since corn doesn't grow on trees, they figured acorns were close enough.

Burlington, Iowa is home to Snake Alley, the crookedest street in America, which rates an impressive 9.5 on the Kofi Annan crookedness scale.

Strawberry Point, Iowa is home to the world's largest strawberry. It's 10 feet tall, weighs 500 pounds, and subsists on a diet of migrant farm workers.

The world's smallest city park is in Hiteman, Iowa, and consists of a single blade of grass growing through a crack in the sidewalk.

And yes, keeping it mowed IS a union job. How did you guess?

Iowa has more people of Norwegian extraction than it does black people, which is why pickled herring is sold at basketball games.

Or WOULD be, if Iowa had enough black people to put together an NBA team.

You know that team that the Harlem Globetrotters always beat in exhibition games? They're all from Iowa.

Crystal Lake, Iowa has a statue of the world's largest bullhead fish, which was finally caught in 1982 by a hockey-mask-wearing serial killer.

Kalona, Iowa is the largest Amish settlement west of the Mississippi. It was founded in 1858 by ultraconservative Amish who were sick of those Pennsylvania harlots shamelessly flaunting their naked wrists.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa is home to the world's largest breakfast cereal company - Quaker Oats - which also makes other funny-hat-wearing, religion-related cereals, like Islam Puffs, Jew Chex, and Pope-ee-o's.

In Scrabble, Iowa is worth 7 points, which, coincidentally, is the same number of points awarded for running down a pedestrian while playing Grand Theft Auto: Des Moines.

Dubuque, Iowa is frequently the site of violent turf wars between rival gangs of Hicks and Bumpkins.

Johnny Carson was born in Corning, Iowa in 1925. Had he been born 50 years later, his homely face and mediocre comedic talent would've prevented any career in the entertainment industry, except for maybe IMAO Podcaster.
Native Iowans are easily identifiable by their unique ability to actually locate Iowa on a map.

Iowa has a population of nearly 3 million people, all of whom will punch you right in the freakin' nose if you tell one more stupid corn joke.

The state vegetable of Iowa is corn, which [punching sound effect] OW! MY FREAKIN' NOSE!

Oh, and the coolest Marauder is from Waterloo, IA... ProRauder.

John

CBT

10-18-2007, 05:28 PM

finster101

10-18-2007, 05:39 PM

All the trees in in Tennessee lean North. Cause Kentucky sucks.
I beg to differ. Where would we be without Kentucky Bourbon? I know there would be a huge void in my life!

Kentucky is the only state to have two native sons as sitting Presidents at the same time. Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln.

CBT

10-18-2007, 05:45 PM

I beg to differ. Where would we be without Kentucky Bourbon? I know there would be a huge void in my life!

Kentucky is the only state to have two native sons as sitting Presidents at the same time. Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln.

Kentucky has Big Bone Lick State Park.
Tennessee has Frozen Head State Park.
I rest my case.

Dragcity

10-18-2007, 06:28 PM

About the state of intoxication...

I can't remember ????!

All I do know is it's good, and has a lot of people in it.

I'll bet it was truely the first state in the nation. Vikings drank a lot.

The state of Intoxication has married more couples that any other state.

>>>Has the highest occurance of DUI's and DWI's

Shall I go on?

Really, New York has a lot of cool stuff , and is a lot bigger and broader than most US citzens realize.

The hudson begins in the Adirondacks, Lake Tear of the Clouds on the southwest slope of Mount Marcy; it is both the highest lake in the state and the highest source of the Hudson River via Feldspar Brook and the Opalescent River. The Hudson River officially begins several miles southwest of Marcy at Henderson Lake (1,814 feet).

I am in Ithaca, NY this week, the home of The Ithaca Deer Slayer shotgun, one of the worlds best.... And yes, the deer here are amazing. New Yorks Beautiful Finger Lakes Region.

What a diverse country...

CBT

10-19-2007, 03:44 AM

DeepSea117

10-23-2007, 12:11 AM

California <---strictest state on two of my passions. Cars and guns. :(

arejayesss

10-23-2007, 09:25 AM

Only one fun fact everyone should know about Florida.
We are home to the best Marauder Club!! Sunshine State Marauders!!!!!!!!!!!WOOHOO

ctrlraven

10-23-2007, 11:29 AM

Maryland Facts and Trivia

1. The United States Naval Academy was founded on October 10, 1845 at Annapolis.

2. In 1830 the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company built the first railroad station in Baltimore.

3. During revolutionary times Rockville was known as Hungerford's Tavern the name of its most familiar landmark. One of the first calls to freedom from British rule was heard at the tavern in 1774.

4. The Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered a masterpiece and one of the finest 19th century buildings in the world. The basilica is the first cathedral in the United States. Baltimore represents the first Roman Catholic diocese.

5. Fort Meade near Laurel became a base because a train engineer delivering soldiers to Meade knew only one Meade, the one in Maryland. He was not aware of Fort Meade, Florida. The confusion happened so often a second base was built in Maryland in an attempt to avoid the confusion.

6. King Williams School opened in 1696 it was the first school in the United States.

7. The first dental school in the United States opened at the University of Maryland.

8. Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, was born in Baltimore and attended Saint Mary's Industrial School.

9. Other Major League Ball player besides "The Babe" born in Maryland include Cal Ripken, Jr., Billy Ripken, Lefty Grove, Frank (Home Run) Baker, Harold Baines, Al Kaline, Denny Neagle, and Jimmie Foxx.

10. Tilghman Island is home to the Skipjacks, the only commercial sailing fleet in North America.

11. America's national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key a Maryland lawyer. It is believed Key wrote the anthem on September 14, 1814 while watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.

12. Since May 30th, 1949 the United States flag has flown continuously over the monument marking the site of Francis Scott Key's birthplace. The flag flies at Terra Rubra Farm, Carroll County, Keymar, Maryland as mandated by a Joint Resolution of Congress.

13. The National Aquarium is located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

14. The 1,200 foot Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is the second longest continuous truss bridge in the nation.

15. The 4.03 mile William Preston Lane Memorial (The Bay Bridge), joins the western part of Maryland to the eastern shore and crosses the Chesapeake Bay.

16. Annapolis is known as the sailing capital of the world.

17. Located in the Chesapeake Bay, Smith Island is Maryland's only inhabited off-shore island.

18. The highest point in Maryland is 3,360 feet above sea level on Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. The absolute lowest point in Maryland is a depression, often called Bloody Point Hole, 174 feet below sea level. The area is located approximately 1 mile west-southwest of the southern tip of Kent Island in Queen Anne's County.

19. The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use.

20. Chincoteague's are famous ponies from Assateague Island.

21. Dredging and tonging are methods for harvesting oysters.

22. On June 24,1784, in Baltimore, 13-year old Edward Warren went airborne in the first successful manned balloon launch in the United States.

23. Maryland forests cover approximately 2.7 million acres, or 43% of the states land surface. Oak and hickory are the dominant hardwood or deciduous forest type, making up 60% of forested areas. Loblolly pine is the most prevalent softwood and is the predominant forest wood on the Eastern Shore.

24. Constructed circa 1850 an acorn-shaped gazebo can be found in Acorn Park in Silver Spring. The park is all that remains of Francis Preston Blair's estate.

25. On September 14, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton of Emmitsburg was canonized, becoming the first native-born American to be so honored. Saint Elizabeth Ann formed the religious community the Sisters of Charity.

26. The National Institute of Standards and Technology gave Gaithersburg the designation Science Capital of the United States when the Bureau moved to the area in 1961.

27. Samuel F.B. Morse reportedly received the first telegraph message in Bladensburg, in 1844, before his famous "What Hath God Wrought" message between Baltimore and Washington. His telegraph wire had been strung along the railroad right of way. Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University, lived in Bladensburg and is said to have invented the telegraph pole.

28. The town of Garrett Park declared the first nuclear free zone in the United States in 1982, thus affirming a tradition of peacefulness that began back in 1898 when it became illegal to harm any tree or songbird within the town limits.

29. Maryland was first to enact Workmen's compensation laws in 1902.

30. Friendship International Airport - now Baltimore/Washington International Airport - began operations on June 24. 1950.

31. Channel 67 broadcast the state's first public television programs on October 5, 1969.

32. Greenbelt was the first community in the United States built as a planned city. Greenbelt was an experiment in both the physical and social planning.

33. The Concord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace is the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in the State of Maryland.

34. Havre de Grace is known as the decoy capitol of the world.

35. The Methodist Church of America was formally organized in 1784 at Perry Hall.

36. Mount Airy is unique because two counties, Carroll and Frederick, divide it.

37. Oxford (founded 1683), gained its prominence in colonial days by being mandated in 1694 by Maryland legislation as the first and only port of entry on the eastern shore.

38. On the morning of August 10, 1813 residents of Saint Michaels having been forewarned of a British attack hoisted lanterns to the masts of ships and in the tops of the trees. The height of light caused cannons to overshoot the town. This first known blackout was effective and only one house was struck and is now known as the "Cannonball House." The town has been known as the town that fooled the British since this historic event.

39. New Market is known as Maryland's antique capital.

40. Swallow Falls State Park near Oakland showcases Muddy Creek Falls. At 63 feet it is the largest waterfall in Maryland.

41. Maryland gave up some of it's land to form Washington D.C.

42. The Maryland Renaissance Festival is held from August and October in Crownsville.

43. Maryland is a prominent producer and processor of seafood and a national leader in the production of blue crabs and soft clams.

44. The Thrasher Carriage Museum in Frostburg houses a collection of early 19th- and 20th-century horse drawn conveyances. Formal closed carriages, milk wagons, open sleighs, funeral wagons, dog carts, and President Roosevelt's inaugural carriage are among the approximately 50 vehicles featured.

45. Sixteen of the 23 Maryland counties border on tidal water. The combined length of tidal shoreline, including islands, is 4,431 miles.

46. The Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge in Savage is made of both cast iron and wrought iron. It is the only open railroad bridge of its type anywhere in the world.

47. Clara Barton National Historic Site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The house in Glen Echo served as her home and headquarters for the American Red Cross and a warehouse for disaster relief supplies.

48. Maryland has forty-seven operational State parks, including 7 parks with waterfront areas, covering 90,239 acres; 15 State-owned lakes and ponds open to public fishing; 9 State forests and portions of 15 State parks open to public hunting; 36 wildlife management areas, covering 88,348 acres, open to public hunting; 6 natural environment areas containing 7,676 acres.

49. Annapolis was known as the Athens of America during the seventeenth century and once served as the capital of the United States.

50. The Community Bridge mural project in Frederick transformed a plain concrete bridge into the stunning illusion of an old stone bridge. The entire structure was painted by hand by an artist and his assistants, using advanced trompe l'oeil ("deceive the eye") techniques.

TooManyFords

10-23-2007, 11:37 AM

Maryland became the 7th state on April 28th, 1788 after it finally agreed to stop trying to invade Delaware to steal its oil.

The state bird of Maryland is the Oriole, which should NOT be confused with any similarly-named, chocolate-flavored, creme-filled sandwich cookies.

The state flag of Maryland is best described as, "a Picasso painting of a checkboard as interpreted by Andy Warhol while very drunk and standing on one leg."

The state flower of Maryland is the Black-Eyed Susan, or - as it's referred to by feminists - the "Justifiable Homicide Plant".

The highest point in Maryland is Backbone Mountain. It's 3360 feet tall, and has never been climbed by a Frenchman.

The state motto of Maryland is, "Yup, pretty much just a suburb of DC".

Maryland's nickname of "The Old Line State" is somewhat of a misnomer, since most of its residents prefer to freebase their cocaine.

Maryland was named after Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of England. They WERE going to call is "Henriettaland", but decided that sounded too much like some kind of ****ycat-puppet-related theme park.

The lowest point in Maryland is Bloody Point Hole, at 174 feet below sea level. It used to be deeper, but Karl Rove's been using it a lot lately to dispose of "stifled dissenters", if you know what I mean.

Presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth was born in Bel Air, Maryland in 1838. Because of his high-profile crime, all US theaters now have "Marylander detectors" at each entrance as a security precaution.

Famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland, which - and I can't emphasize this enough - starts with the letter "T", so really watch that left index finger while you're typing.

Another famous abolitionist - Harriet Tubman - was born in Dorchester County, Maryland and freed over 300 slaves during 20 trips between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Today, many black people honor her heroic journies by running up and down a wooden court for an hour, symbolically helping basketballs escape slavery by throwing them through "freedom hoops".

Gaithersburg, Maryland is home to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It employs over 3000 pimply-faced geek-boys, none of whom have yet kissed a real girl.

National Anthem author Francis Scott Key was born in Frederick, Maryland, where he spent his formative years blowing stuff up and writing poetry about the explosions.

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Babe Ruth grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and developed his legendary slugging prowess by working as a knee-cap breaker for local loan sharks.

The United States Naval Academy was founded on October 10, 1845 at Annapolis, Maryland. Coincidentally, the United States Hooker Academy was founded across the street the next day.

The first cathedral in the US was built in Baltimore, Maryland in 1821, mostly to clear the streets of the numerous drunken Irishmen passed out in the gutters.

Annapolis, Maryland once served as the capital of the US, but the Congressional building was eventually moved to Washington, D.C. to make room for the United States Hooker Academy.

The first dental school in the US opened at the University of Maryland in 1840. The early facilities were quite primitive, and the first class taught there was a course in how to make a set of dentures out of duct tape and roofing nails.

The Concord Point lighthouse is the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in Maryland, because no one in the state is smart enough to figure out how to operate the light switch.

Maryland was originally populated by confused colonists from Virginia who wandered too far north and got stuck in snowbanks.

Kind of explains the light switch thing, doesn't it?

The highest waterfall in Maryland is Muddy Creek Falls. At 63 feet tall, it's actually large enough for Michael Moore to fit underneath it, unless he's laying on his back.

In 1790 Maryland rounded up all the lawyers in the state and threw them into a fetid swamp near the southern border of the state, now known as Washington, D.C.

The first successful manned hot air balloon launch occurred in Baltimore, Maryland in 1784. The pilot - Edward Warren - reportedly described his trip as "a great way to peek down the front of women's dresses."

The state song of Maryland is "Maybe We Should've Killed Those Lawyers Before We Threw Them In That Swamp".

TooManyFords

10-23-2007, 11:40 AM

Minnesota became the 32nd state on May 11th, 1858 and was originally settled by a lost tribe of Norwegians seeking refuge from the searing heat of Wisconsin's winters.

The state flag of Minnesota (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.50states.com/flag/image/nunst038.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.50states.com/flag/mnflag.htm&h=256&w=256&sz=8&tbnid=tH5LWhsaoY1GsM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dminnesota%2Bflag&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1) consists of a blue background upon which sits a design best described as "how a 7-year-old city girl would draw a picture titled 'Life on the Farm'".

Minnesota gets it's name from the Sioux Indian word "Mah-nee-soo-tah", meaning "No, really, they eat fish soaked in lye".

The state song of Minnesota is "Someday the Vikings Will... Aw, Nevermind"

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota covers 9.5 million square feet and has enough space to hold 185,000 idiot teenagers yapping away on cell phones.

Madison, Minnesota is known as "The Lutefisk Capital of the World". Avoid this city at all costs.

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was Mary's first real acting job since leaving the "Dick Van Dyke Show". The show - about a single woman's struggle to find happiness in the big city - was originally titled "Life Without Dick", but that was changed for some reason.

The state motto of Minnesota is, "Where even a man who wears a feather boa can grow up to be Governor."

Downtown Minneapolis has an enclosed skyway system covering 52 blocks, allowing people to live, work, eat, and sleep without ever going outside. The only downside to this is that an Eloi occasionally turns up missing.

Cartoonist Charles M. Shultz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was the only artist to accurately depict the perfectly circular heads of Minnesota natives.

The Hormel company of Austin, Minnesota produces 6 million cans of spam a year, even though no one actually eats that crap.

The first water skis were invented in Lake City, Minnesota by Ralph Samuelson in 1922. Sadly, he drowned shortly afterwards, as the motorboat hadn't been invented yet.

St. Paul, Minnesota was originally named "Pig's Eye", after French Canadian whiskey trader Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant. Its "twin city", Minneapolis, was known as "Pig's Colon".

The stapler was invented in Swingline, Minnesota by a chubby, mumbling man named Milton in 1999. The city was mysteriously destroyed by fire later that year.

Pelican Rapids is home to a 16-foot-tall concrete pelican, which subsists on a diet of 4-foot-long concrete fish.

In 1973, Olivia, Minnesota erected a 25-foot tall fiberglass corn cob to celebrate its rich, agricultural heritage. In 1974, it was eaten by a 50-foot statue of Babe the Blue Ox.

Yeah, Minnesota has a LOT of problems with statue cannibalism.

Minnesota licensce plates are blue & white and contain the phrase "Blizzards on Independence Day - You Get Used To It."

Frank C. Mars, founder of the Mars Candy Co. was born in Newport, Minnesota. His 3 Musketeers candy bar originally contained three bars in one wrapper, each filled with a different flavor nougat - chocolate, spam, and lutefisk.

The first fully automatic pop-up toaster was invented in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1926, Minnesota's stringent bread-control laws currently only allow residents to own semi-automatic toasters.

Tonka Trucks continue to be manufactured in Minnetonka, Minnesota, despite the thousands of GI Joe dolls killed by them annually in rollover accidents.

No airbags, no seatbelts... these things are DEATHTRAPS, I tell ya!

Author Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Walnut Creek, Minnesota, and was famous for writing the "Little House" series of books, as well as inventing the "Spam Diet" - which consists of looking at a plate of Spam until you lose your appetite.

Much like the "Lutefisk Diet".

The snowmobile was invented in Roseau, Minnesota so as to allow families a means of attending Independence Day picnics.

Contrary to popular myth, you can NOT buy a 1-ounce can of Coke in Minnesota.

Singer Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. All gay men are required by their religion to make a pilgrimmage there at least once in their lifetimes.

Hookers in Minnesota are easy to spot. They're the ones wearing crotchless parkas.

Minnesotans are almost indistinguishable from Wisconsinites. The only way to tell them apart is to ask if they voted for Mondale in '84.

TooManyFords

10-23-2007, 11:45 AM

Wisconsin became the 30th state on May 29th, 1848... and seriously, why the HELL is the Upper Peninsula considered part of Michigan? Just look at a map! It doesn't even TOUCH the rest of the stupid state! This is BULLS***!

The state flag of Wisconsin is comprised of a dark blue background with a central design that was most likely created by someone with a Colorforms play set and too much time on his hands.

The state flower of Wisconsin is the "Road Construction Ahead" sign.

The Wisconsin license plate features a white background with black lettering and the tourism slogan, "Cannibal-free Since 1994!"

Wisconsin's nickname is the "Will you please shut up about Brett Favre already?" state.

According to the other 49 states, anyway.

The first typewriter was invented in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1868 by C.L. Sholes. The first sentence ever typed on it was "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog". The second was "GAH! Carpal Tunnel!"

Although Wisconsin sports revolves around the Packers, the state DOES have a professional baseball team - the Milwaukee Brew... somethings - who, since joining the National League in 1998, have already set the record for keeping the Cubs out of the basement.

Wisconsin has over 15,000 miles of snowmobile trails. Most of them run adjacent to the state's highways, and are clearly delineated by reflective sidemarkers and piles of discarded beer cans.

Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells is America's largest waterpark, and is also Wisconsin's only non-alcoholic fluid-related attraction.

Wisconsin gets its name from the Oneida Indian phrase "Oui-con-sun", meaning "nothing but polka music on the radio".

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is home to Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. Despite the violent, anti-social reputation of Harley riders, most of them take the time to give back to their communities by helping to keep Wisconsin's snowmobile trails clearly marked.

The nation's first Kindergarten was started in 1856 in Watertown, Wisconsin. Its purpose was to ensure that children had all the vital skills they needed for attending the first grade, like reciting the alphabet and taunting misfits.

Wisconsin is America's top milk producing state. Although vegetarians consider milking cows to be a form of animal abuse, they should just shut the hell up before I break their brittle, calcium-deficient little arms!

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, in 1867 and was the father of the "cinderblocks and pizza boxes" style of architecture.

The state motto of Wisconsin is "Home of Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, and other beers that sound like vomiting noises".

The Barbie doll was named for Barbara Handler of Willows, Wisconsin. And yes, like the doll, she really DOES have painted-on eyebrows and plastic boobs.

The state song of Wisconsin is "The Bears Still Suck (http://blankety2004.blogspot.com/2007/02/salute-to-chicago-bears-2006-nfc.html)", which Illinois has also considering adopting since the 2007 Superbowl fiasco.

The Ringling Brothers Circus started in Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1884. Although now world-famous, they had their humble beginnings in a travelling freak show consisting of a single woman with painted-on eyebrows and plastic boobs.

It was in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1881 that the ice cream sundae was invented. Prior to this, hot fudge had only been used as a topping in adventuresome marital bedchambers.

The Republican Party was born in 1854 in Ripon, Wisconsin. It was started as an attempt to replace the Whig party, which self-destructed after candidate Millard Fillmore completely discredited himself by making a bizarre screaming sound at the end of a campaign speech in 1852.

Green Bay is Wisconsin's oldest city, which was founded in 682 BC by Roman Coliseum Master Vincini Lombardo. Today, a cult of his loyal followers preserve the legend of his promise to return again in his city's hour of greatest need. Most likely after Brett Favre retires.

Yeah, yeah, I know... shut up about Brett Favre, already.

Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is home to the Mustard Museum. It contains all 2300 varieties of mustard known to man, except for Mean Mr., which can be downloaded from iTunes.

Cannibalistic serial killers Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer both hail from Wisconsin. Which was probably just a coincidence, even though it's true that nothing complements the taste of human flesh like good ol' Wisconsin cheese.

The town of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was established in 1874 in an effort to allow people from Wisconsin the opportunity to win back the bar bets they lost against people from New Mexico who challenged them to spell Albuquerque.

In Wisconsin, the term "bubbler" is used to refer to a public drinking fountain. Although if you're on the UW-Madison campus, it might also be used to refer to a hippie who's rabidly frothing about global warming.

No one in Wisconsin pronounces the letter "g" at the end of a word (I'm tellin' the truth about that part). The state legislature passed a drastic law in an attempt to correct this bit of grammatical retardation, which is why everyone in the state has as least one shirt with a big letter "G" on it.

Monroe, Wisconsin is the Swiss Cheese Capital of the World, much to the embarrassment of those chocolate-chomping, Nazi-neutral, clock-makers across the pond.

Wisconsin contains almost 8000 streams and rivers, 99% of which are clean enough to drink from directly if you don't mind the taste of deer urine.

Which is also true for cans filled with Wisconsin beer.

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 06:30 AM

Michigan became the 26th state on January 26th, 1837, and was originally a penal colony for disloyal Canadians who refused to say "eh?" at the end of every sentence.

If someone from Michigan flips you off, don't be offended. He's probably just trying to tell you to take I-75 to Mackinaw City.

Famous singer Madonna was born in Detriot, Michigan, which may explain why her bras looked like the hubcaps from a '57 Chevy.

Michingan's nickname is the "Wolverine State", even though there are no longer any wolverines in the state. The last Michigan wolverine died in 1872 when it was eaten by a badger while attempting to sneak across the border into Wisconsin.

Rogers City, Michigan boasts the world's largest limestone quarry, which is where Fred Flintstone used to work before he made it big in Hollywood.

Yes, I know Fred Flintstone lived in Bedrock, but he commuted.

Being surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan has more bridges than any other state, most of which Ted Kennedy has driven off of at one time or another.

The Detroit Zoo does not keep its animals in cages, because they all know better than to wander the streets of Detroit after dark.

Industrialist Henry Ford was born in Dearborn, Michigan, and invented the assembly line to streamline the process of killing union agitators.

The world's largest crucifix (http://www.crossinthewoods.com/) is located in Indian River, Michigan. Requests from the National Endowment for the Arts to dip it in the world's largest jar of urine have so far been ignored.

The Ambassador Bridge connecting Michigan to Canada was built in 1953 and has since been heavily mined to prevent more talentless, hack actors like William Shatner from sneaking into our country.

No matter where you stand in Michigan, you're less than 100 miles from one of the Great Lakes. If you're in Detroit, you're also less than 100 feet from the scene of a violent crime.

Politician Thomas Dewey was born in Owosso, Michigan, and mentored Al Gore in how to lose a close election.

Most snowblowers sold in Michigan are manufactured in Detroit and come with 10-year/100,000 mile warranties.

They usually expire due to mileage.

The state flag of Michigan consists of a dark blue background over which is a lighter blue shield and the motto, "Cold like Wisconsin, but more recognizably hand-shaped".

The name Michigan comes from the Chippewa Indian word "Mishigawa", meaning "half my pocket change is Canadian, eh?"

Rock & Roll legend Ted Nugent was born in Detroit, Michigan, but left the state in 1982 after he ran out of animals to kill there.

Although the Western shore of Michigan has many large sand dunes, it has no camels as they were hunted to extinction by Ted Nugent in 1981.

James Vernor invented Ginger Ale in his Detroit pharmacy. It's one of the most popular drinks in the nation, except in Kansas, where it's regularly outsold by Mary Ann Ale.

Michigan is the only place in the world with a floating post office, which is frequently attacked by disgruntled former employees "going pirate".

Aviator Charles Lindbergh was born in Detroit Michigan. His solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927 was the first recorded instance of an American being glad to arrive in France.

Michigan has more than 11,000 lakes, all of which have - at one time or another - hidden Jimmy Hoffa.

In the 1950's & 60's, the prevalence of Detroit black singing groups created the style of music known as "Motown". Since the advent of rap, it's been called "Mofotown".

In 1929, The Michigan State Police established the world's first police radio system after inventing the chocolate glazed radio receiver.

The state reptile of Michigan is the Painted Turtle, or - as the natives refer to it - the Crunchy Speed Bump.

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 06:36 AM

Georgia became the 4th state on January 2nd, 1788, and its citizens commemorate this day each year by shooting British people with muskets.

Contrary to popular myth, not everyone who lives in Georgia is a redneck. There's plenty of toothless, moonshine-swilling hillbillies, too.

Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, Georgia in 1886. The original formula has changed since then, and the drink no longer contains actual cocaine or the blood of virgins.

"Georgia" is a Cherokee Indian word meaning, "Are those rednecks or hillbillies?"

Despite the way natives pronounce the state's name, "Jawjah" is NOT spelled with a W.

Unlike the word "dawg".

Since it almost never snows in Georgia, children there spend winters having cotton ball fights.

While having a cotton ball fight, it's considered cheating to stuff a peach pit in the cotton.

In Georgia, everything is made out of cotton. Except the peaches, which are made out of okra.

Atlanta, Georgia has the worst traffic of any city in the US, since every street in the city is named "Peachtree Road".

The last time it snowed in Georgia, the confused natives thought it was ash from the Yankees burning Atlanta again.

The state motto of Georgia is "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation.", which replaced the old motto of "Whiskey, Hookers, NASCAR."

In Georgia, every soft drink is referred to as "Coke". Except for Pepsi, which is referred to as "Damn Yankee Poison".

After Jimmy Carter left the presidency in 1981, he returned to his home town of Plains, Georgia and went on a bloody shooting rampage.

Wait... I meant to say "worked for Habitat for Humanity". Must've been a typo.

The only way to get to Florida from Georgia is by sea, since the Georgia-Florida border is guarded by landmines and alligators.

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia celebrates the careers of all the talented musicians who were born in Georgia, and is currently empty.
They WERE going to put in a Ray Charles exhibit, but they figured there was no point, since he wouldn't see it anyway.

Saint Marys, Georgia is the second-oldest city in the US, and will soon be moving to Florida to retire.

If it can make it past the landmines and alligators, that is.

The state fish of Georgia is the largemouth bass, which shouldn't be confused with the much more common loudmouth drunk.

The name of Georgia's largest swamp, the Okefenokee, comes from a Shawnee Indian word meaning "I'd rather live in a swamp than eat okra".

Georgia was originally populated by settlers from England and drunk people from Alabama who couldn't find their way home.

The Governor's mansion in Georgia is the only quadruple-wide trailer in America.

Some people are offended by the fact that three Confederate leaders are carved into the side of Georgia's Stone Mountain. Other people figure it's ok, since the back ends of the horses point north.

Between 2001 and 2003, the state flag of Georgia was changed 3 times. The latest version consists of a white background with black lettering that says "YOUR DESIGN HERE: $50"

In Georgia, it's considered ungentlemanly to stare at a woman's breasts while talking to her. Unless she's REALLY hot.

In the year 2227, Dr. Leonard McCoy will be born in Atlanta, Georgia and will go on to become Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise. If you already knew this, then you're a pathetic nerd who will never kiss a girl.

The most common cause of death in Georgia is getting murdered in a fight over the proper way to pronounce the word "pecan".

Georgia is the state most likely to be invaded by Jane Fonda and have its peanut oil stolen to power her tour bus.

The official state prepared food of Georgia is grits, which consists of coarsely ground bits of corn and shouldn't be confused with hog slop, which is made from coarsely ground bits of corn.

Although Georgia is already America's #1 grower of peanuts, farmers there are already working on developing a "super-peanut" which will be twice as large and shoot laser beams out of it's eyes.

They hope to use it to stop Jane Fonda.
`
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go murder someone who said "PEE-can"
<SCRIPT src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/imao/NTM?i=http://www.imao.us/archives/003649.html" type=text/javascript charset=utf-8></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/static/site-tracker.js" type=text/javascript charset=utf-8></SCRIPT>

dreydin

10-24-2007, 11:57 AM

Texas, is the lone star state.

CBT

10-24-2007, 01:35 PM

Georgia became.....

Where are you finding this stuff?! Hysterical!

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 02:37 PM

Texas became the 28th state on December 29th, 1845 after the US won it from Mexico in - ironically - a game of Texas Hold 'em.

Although the Texas justice system is sometimes criticized for having "too many" executions, the truth is that most Texas prisoners prefer death to the alternative sentence of "life without the possibility of an oversized belt buckle".

Texas license plates have dark blue numbers on a white background and contain the tourism slogan "All the oil, without all the burkhas".

The Texas flag consists of 3 colored sections - red, white, and blue - with the blue section featuring an image of Chuck Norris kicking a bad guy's ass.

The state flower of Texas is the Bluebonnet. It WAS the yellow rose until the RIAA sued the state for copyright infringement.

Texas gets its name from a Caddo Indian word meaning "short swim to a welfare check".

Texas has a population of nearly 21 million people, all of whom are ashamed to be from the same state as the Dixie Chicks.

President Dwight Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas. He was the last elected American President who didn't need to check his pockets for a comb before a press conference.

The state tree of Texas is the gallows.

The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is the place where a grossly outnumbered contingent of Texans fought to the death against an overwhelming force of Mexican troops in 1836. Much as modern-day beer kegs currently wage their valiant yet inevitably hopeless struggle against frat boy sobriety.

If a Texan brags to you about how much bigger his state is than yours, tell him your friend from Alaska was just saying the same thing about him, and laugh when he starts crying like a little girl.

The state mammal of Texas is the armadillo. For those not familiar with it, an armadillo is a peculiar-looking animal with the head of a rat, the body armor of a turtle, and the spineless flexibility of Bush's immigration policy.

President Lyndon Johnson was born in Johnson City, Texas. He was the last president to be popularly known by his three initials, "LBJ". Which should not be confused with President Clinton's nickname among Hispanic voters, "el BJ".

Alvin, Texas, set the record for rainfall in the US when it received 43 inches in 24 hours in 1979. It also holds the record for the world's largest wooden boat at 300 by 50 by 30 cubits.

Texas' nickname is "the big freakin' hat state".

More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state. The quality of the wool is far superior to that from New Jersey, which is 90% Italian back hair.

Texas was actually an independent nation from 1836 until 1845, when it got divorced, lost its job and moved into America's basement, where it remains to this day.

Lazy bum.

An oak tree near Fulton, Texas, is estimated to be over 1500 years old. Every year on June 1st, the locals celebrate the tree's birthday by getting drunk and firing pistols into the air. The drunken shooting on the other 364 days of the year is just for fun.

Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas. All the rest have implants.

On December 20, 1835, the first flag of Texas independence was raised. It featured a white background behind an image of Speedy Gonzales's head on a pike and a capital "T" branded on his forehead.

The Hertzberg Circus Museum in San Antonio, Texas, has the largest collection of circus memorabilia in the world. It includes such rare sideshow freak attractions as a three-headed calf and a modest, soft-spoken Texan wearing sneakers and a fedora.

The state motto of Texas is "That chili's not hot, you're just a wuss".

Texas is home to both Dell and Compaq computers. The fact that they've outsourced all their tech support overseas gives new meaning to the phrase "Cowboys and Indians".

The famous soft drink Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas, in 1885. It should not be confused with any best-selling Beatles albums or that crappy rip-off, Mr Pibb.

The first suspension bridge in the US was the Waco Bridge, built across the Brazos river in 1870. Before then, all bridges were supported by concrete pilings reinforced with the broken bodies of Chinese railroad workers.

The Texas capitol building in Austin opened on May 16, 1888, and is actually 7 feet higher the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C.. Personally, I think it's nice that men from Texas at least have ONE size-related thing they can brag about.

The first word spoken from the moon was "Houston". The second and third words were "Astros" and "suck".

Texas possesses three of the top 10 most populous cities in the US - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. It also claims two of the top 10 most monkey-eared presidential candidates - George W. Bush and Ross Perot.

The cattle population of Texas is estimated to be 16 million.

17 million if you count Cadillacs with steer horns mounted on the hood.

The world's first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas, in 1883 when a dozen cowboys came up with a plan for a way to publicly tie up and wrestle cattle while dressed in leather chaps without running afoul of the state's oppressive bestiality laws.

offroadkarter

10-24-2007, 03:23 PM

Is there even any facts about NJ?

I know our current governor disobeys the seat belt law, and our last governor resigned on the account of being called a h-m-

That bout wraps it up, if i learn anything in US1 ill let you know :)

2003_MM_FYRE49

10-24-2007, 05:34 PM

Illinois Fun Facts

Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy and Alton hosted the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates that stirred interest all over the country in the slavery issue.
The first Aquarium opened in Chicago, 1893.
The world's first Skyscraper was built in Chicago, 1885.
Home to the Chicago Bears Football Team, Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, Chicago Bulls basketball team, Chicago Cubs and Chicago Whitesox baseball teams, Chicago Fire soccer team.
The first Mormon Temple in Illinois was constructed in Nauvoo.
Peoria is the oldest community in Illinois.
The Sears Tower, Chicago is the tallest building on the North American continent.
Metropolis the home of Superman really exists in Southern Illinois.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site--most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico
Illinois had two capital cities, Kaskaskia, and Vandalia before Springfield.
The NFL's Chicago Bears were first known as the "Staley Bears". They were organized in 1920, in Decatur.
Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery. 1865
On December 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi and a small band of scientists and engineers demonstrated that a simple construction of graphite bricks and uranium lumps could produce controlled heat. The space chosen for the first nuclear fission reactor was a squash court under the football stadium at the University of Chicago.
Des Plaines is home to the first McDonald's.
Dixon is the boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan.
Springfield is the state capital and the home of the National Historic Site of the home of President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln.
Chicago is home to the Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station, the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire.
Before Abraham Lincoln was elected president he served in the Illinois legislature and practiced law in Springfield. Abraham Lincoln is buried just outside Springfield at Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site.
Carlyle is the home of the largest man-made lake in Illinois.
Illinois has 102 counties.
Ronald Wilson Regan from Tampico became the 40th president of the United States in 1980.
The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound at 1235 feet above sea level.
The state motto is: State Sovereignty, National Union
The ice cream "sundae" was named in Evanston. The piety of the town resented the dissipating influences of the soda fountain on Sunday and the good town fathers, yielding to this churchly influence, passed an ordinance prohibiting the retailing of ice cream sodas on Sunday. Ingenious confectioners and drug store operators obeying the law, served ice cream with the syrup of your choice without the soda. Objections then was made to christening a dish after the Sabbath. So the spelling of "sunday" was changed. It became an established dish and an established word and finally the "sundae".
The round Silo for farm storage of silage was first constructed on a farm in Spring Grove.
The Illinois state dance is square dancing.
Illinois has more units of government than any other state (i.e., city, county, township, etc.). Over six thousand. One contributing reason may be the township governments, which are generally six miles square. No wonder I'm being taxed to death.
The worst prison camp during the Civil War in terms of percentages of death was at Rock Island.
Illinois boasts the highest number of personalized license plates, more than any other state. And I'm a proud owner of one of them.
The University of Illinois Conservatory is 37 feet high at its apex.
In 1905, president of the Chicago Cubs filed charges against a fan in the bleachers for catching a fly ball and keeping it. See number 52.
Chicago's Mercantile Exchange building was built entirely without an internal steel skeleton, as most skyscrapers; it depends on its thick walls to keep itself up
The abbreviation "ORD" for Chicago's O'Hare airport comes from the original name Orchard Field. O'Hare Airport was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare.
The trains that pass through Chicago's underground freight tunnels daily would extend over ten miles total in length.
The slogan of 105.9, the classic rock radio station in Chicago: 'Of all the radio stations in Chicago...we're one of them.'
In Mount Pulaski, Illinois, it is illegal for boys (and only boys) to hurl snowballs at trees. Girls are allowed to do that however.
In Illinois Michael is the top name chosen for boys. Emily is the most chosen name for girls.
Illinois is known for its wide variety of weather. Major winter storms, deadly tornadoes and spectacular heat and cold waves.
The first birth on record in Chicago was of Eulalia Pointe du Sable, daughter of Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable and his Potawatomi Indian wife in 1796.
Chicago's Mercy Hospital was the first hospital opened in Illinois.
The first animal purchased for the Lincoln Park Zoo was a bear cub, bought for $10 on June 1st, 1874
The University of Chicago opened on October 1, 1892 with an enrollment of 594 and a faculty of 103.
New York Sun editor Charles Dana, tired of hearing Chicagoans boast of the world's Columbian Exposition, dubbed Chicago the "Windy City."
Comedy showcase "Second City" was founded on North Wells Street in a former Chinese laundry in 1959
Chicago's first African American mayor, Harold Washington, took office in 1983
The 4 stars on the Chicago flag represent Fort Dearborn, the Chicago Fire, the World's Columbian Exposition, and the Century of Progress Exposition.
The Chicago Public Library is the world's largest public library with a collection of more than 2 million books.
The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.
The Chicago River is dyed green on Saint Patrick's Day.
The world's largest cookie and cracker factory, where Nabisco made 16 billion Oreo cookies in 1995, is located in Chicago.
The Chicago White Sox are the 2005 World Champions.
The Cubs still suck!
Chicago is called "The Second City" not because it is the second largest city in the U.S. but because of its rebirth after the Great Chicago Fire.
South Elgin is home to the best 2003 300B Marauder in Illinois :beer:

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 06:46 PM

New Jersey became the 3rd state on December 18, 1787 after cutting off the head of Old Jersey and shouting "There can be only ONE!"

The state song of New Jersey is "I'm From New Jersey", the only state song which is perfectly adaptable to any state or city with a 3-syllable name.
Think of it as "witness protection program friendly".

At over 1000 people per square mile, New Jersey has a population density 13 times the US average, the subject of numerous protests by KFCeTP (Kentucky Fried Chickens for the Ethical Treatment of People).

Newark, New Jersey is the car-theft capital of the world, although the Newark Chamber of Commerce prefers to refer to it as "pre-emptive recycling".

Cape May, New Jersey, is the oldest seaside resort in the US and brags that it has "the best fed sharks north of Amity".

The state flag of New Jersey has a buff colored background, the state seal (3 plows topped by a horse's head) and the state motto "Perhaps you should reconsider the Don's generous offer".

The state flower of New Jersey is the violet. And before you ask: no, I didn't accidentally leave out the "n".

The state's name, however, WAS originally a typographical error, when an inattentive clerk mistakenly typed an "s" instead of a "k" on the colony's application for statehood.

One exceptionally capitalistic area of New Jersey contains 7 shopping malls in a 25 square mile area and frequently exceeds the EPA limits on perfume particulates.

New Jersey is America's second largest producer of industrial chemicals. First, if you include the stuff that's burning on the rivers.

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in his Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory, which soon replaced kerosene, whale oil, and natural gas lamps as the "good idea" symbol.

The first Miss America pageant took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1921, helping to end the dark chapter in American history where beautiful, large-breasted women were routinely shunned and ignored.

The streets in the game Monopoly are all named for actual streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which are frequently clogged with shoes and tophats.

New Jersey's Fort Dix was named for Major General John Adams Dix, and NOT for the fact that it was the last all-male Army base in the US
Atlantic City, New Jersey has the longest boardwalk in the world. Enough trees were used in its construction to make 10,000 hippies weep in anguish.

The first Indian reservation in the US was created in New Jersey, which - surprisingly - did NOT trigger a case involving the 8th Amendment's "cruel and unusual punishment" clause.

Union, New Jersey is home to the world's tallest water tower. At 212 feet tall, it contains enough water to completely clean out three of Michael Moore's belly-folds.

New Jersey is the only state in the nation that offers child abuse prevention workshops in every public school. Although you'd think that if they REALLY cared about the kids, they'd just move them out of the state.

The first baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, one of the few times in the state's history where the use of a baseball bat wasn't immediately followed by a homicide investigation.

The first drive-in movie theater was opened Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, less than one year before Camden set the record for "most illegitimate births".

Tourism is New Jersey's second-largest industry, just behind discreet body-disposal.

The knobbed whelk is the state seashell, not a nickname for New York tourists.

The first dinosaur skeleton found in the US was discoverd in Haddonfield, New Jersey. Paleontologists theorize that the cause of its death was not accepting the Don's generous offer.

Dioxin is New Jersey's state toxic waste.

Good luck guessing whether that one's true or not.

Comedians Bud Abbot and Lou Costello were both born in New Jersey. Their famous comedy routine "Who Do Youse Want Me to Whack First" was later re-written slightly to appeal to a broader audience.

Singer Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, where she first discovered her amazing talent for making dogs howl across three counties.

Singer Bruce Springsteen was born in Freehold, New Jersey. The city's residents are the only people who know what he's actually singing in "Blinded By The Light", "Washing with a loofah in the corner to the right"? "Dressed up in a tutu like the mother of my wife"? What the HELL is he singing?

"The Chairman of the Board" Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He... I've just been handed a note... apparently if I value my kneecaps, I should be keepin' by yap shut about Mr. Sinatra.

Nevermind.

In New Jersey, "Wawa" refers to a particular chain of convenience stores, NOT to the last sound the guy in your trunk makes before you throw him in the dumpster behind the convenience store.

The reason people always ask folks from New Jersey "What exit?" is that it's the only phrase that can't be mistaken for a criticism of Mr. Sinatra.

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 06:54 PM

(because the previous facts about Illinois were, well, not that fun!)

Illinois became the 21st state on December 3rd, 1818, and - except for Arkansas - is the only state that carries the death penalty for pronouncing the S at the end of the state's name.

Politically, Illinois is like 2 states in one. The Chicago area - which is urban and heavily Democratic - and the rest of the state, which is rural and sane.

Chicago politicians are easily identifiable by their colorful "Bribe me!" lapel pins.

During the Civil War, Illinois was bitterly divided between those who wanted black people to vote and those who wanted to restrict the franchise to white people and the dead.

10% of Illinois' economy is based on the production of various corn products. The other 90% consists of official "Just wait 'till next year!" logo Cubs merchandise.

Although Illinois borders both Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, most citizens get their water from large, camel-like humps on their backs.

Every year, millions of Illinoisans head north to the Wisconsin Dells to spend their money on water parks, souveniers, and speeding tickets.

Illinois is currently experiencing rapid population growth because an Illinoisan's only natural predator is the Wisconsin State Highway Patrol.

Few people shop at the malls in Illinois due to the twin hazards of high sales taxes and recklessly-driving Blues musicians.

The first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1895. When completed, it was 9 stories tall and was immediately destroyed by God for using non-union labor.

At least according to the Teamsters who witnessed the event.

Thanks to Illinois' strict gun control laws, you may wander about freely after dark without having to worry about being mugged by a law-abiding citizen.

Due to the extremely harsh winters in Illinois, natives of the state grow thick coats of fur to protect them from the elements, and are frequently clubbed to death by Alaskan tourists.

People from Chicago like to brag about their "Chicago-style" pizza, but it's really just regular pizza sprinkled with bits of people who hired non-union labor.

Springfield is the capitol of Illinois. While there, be sure to visit Lincoln's Tomb and Moe's Tavern.

The state dance of Illinois is the Square Dance.

Except in certain parts of Chicago, where it's the "I NEED CRACK!" jitterbug.

Chicago was setting for George Romero's movie "Night of the Voting Dead".

The Sears Tower in Chicago is the tallest building in North America and contains enough office space to hold a year's supply of Twinkies for Michael Moore.

The state tree of Illinois is the White Oak, which is just plain racist.

The state snack of Illinois is popcorn. MORE racism!

The first McDonald's restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1940 after the McDonald brothers perfected their technique for making thin, round patties out of rat turds and sawdust.

Early in the church's history, the Mormons settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, but moved to Utah after the Iroquois Indians gave them smallpox and stole their land.

During the Civil War, Illinois was home to the notorious Rock Island prison camp, where it's estimated that over 100,000 Confederate prisoners were either starved to death or denied access to Korans.

13% of Illinois' population is foreign-born. Mostly Irishmen who ran out of money while travelling to Idaho's annual Spud-Fest.

People from Chicago must pass a literacy test before they are allowed to vote, which consists of correctly identifying the letter "D".

It was the original French settlers who chose the White-Tailed Deer as the Illinois state animal. They looked upon it as a kindred spirit, since it appeared to be raising a white flag while fleeing at the first sign of danger.

Chicago is home to the world's largest public library. Sadly, not enough of the books have pictures to make it of any use to the Irish.

The city of Bloomington, Illinois consists of 60% women and 40% men. Even Frank J. could get lucky there.

If he weren't... you know... already attached.

SarahK's (http://mountaineermusings.com/) gonna kill me now, isn't she?

In 1999 the city of Kankakee, Illinois was voted "America's Worst Place to Live". It improved to "America's Best Place to Live" after the city implemented its "free breast implant" program.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat some popcorn because I'm a racist.

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 07:03 PM

Ohio became the 17th state on March 1, 1803 and was originally populated by people who were improperly whacked by the Detroit mob and dumped into Lake Erie.

The state flower of Ohio is the Scarlet Carnation, more popularly known as the flower that cheapskates buy for their ladies instead of roses.

The first ambulance service in the US was started in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1865 as a method of promoting physical fitness among lawyers.

Cleveland, Ohio is home to America's first traffic light. The idea was borrowed from the French "war light", whose green, red, and yellow signals told French citizens whether to flee, surrender, or collaborate.

Ermal Fraze invented the pop-top can in Kettering, Ohio, which replaced the older, less reliable method of opening cans - outraging a Muslim into suicide-bombing it open for you.

Singer Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio, and was the last non-Frenchman to sincerely believe that Jerry Lewis was funny.

The cash register was invented in Dayton, Ohio in 1879 by James Ritty. The first model consisted of a locking drawer attached to his wife's cleavage.

"Hang On Sloopy" is the official state rock song of Ohio, which narrowly beat out "Smack My ***** Up".

Although Ohio's state nickname is the "Buckeye State", long-time residents still prefer the previous nickname of the "Big Red Dangling Nuts State".

Ohio's name comes from an Iroquois Indian word meaning "Lake Erie's on fire again".

Founded in 1869, the Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team. The second professional team wasn't created until 1870, which may explain why the Reds won their first 130 games by forfeit.

Akron, Ohio was the first city to use police cars. Coincidentally, it was also the first city with a donut shop.

Cincinnati was the first city with a full-time professional fire department, originally consisting of 25 Dalmations with bladder-control problems.

Akron, Ohio is the rubber capital of the world, annually producing enough of the material to supply rubber chickens to every crappy prop comic on earth.

Or to supply one Carrot Top show.

The American Federation of Labor union was founded in Columbus, Ohio. It offers all the high-quality corrupt thuggery you've come to expect from East Coast unions, but with a pleasant mid-western accent.

At the age of 77, Ohio senator John Glenn became the oldest man to visit outer space aboard the space shuttle Discovery. The ship was grounded for six months afterwards while crews worked around the clock to get the "old person smell" out of it.

Cleveland, Ohio, is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is located across the street from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Museum.

Ohio is the nation's leading producer of greenhouse and nursery plants. None of which are marijuana. And no, I don't know where you can get any. Now get away from me, you stupid hippy!

Canton, Ohio, is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There's no doubt in my mind that Terrell Owens will make it in there someday - if he stops at the front counter and pays for an adult admission ticket.

Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and became the first man to walk on the moon. The second man to walk on the moon... eh... who cares about THAT loser!

Born in Dayton, Ohio, the Wright Brothers invented the airplane in 1903. Their accomplishment was was largely ignored until they invented the scantily-clad stewardess in 1905.

Americans have elected seven presidents from the state of Ohio. If we elect three more, we'll get a coupon for a free Speaker of the House.

The hot dog was given its name by concessionaire Harry Stevens of Niles, Ohio, after discovering that people weren't interested in buying his "snouts & sawdust sausages".

50% of the United States population lives within a 500 mile radius of Columbus, Ohio. The other 50% lives with a profound sense of relief.

Charles Kettering of Loudonville, Ohio, invented the automobile self-starter in 1911, which was a huge improvement over the old method of grabbing the engine block while peeing on an electric fence.

Ohio's state flag is the only one of the 50 states' which is a penant shape, rather than rectangular. Sorta like that kid you went to school with who thought that being the only person with a mullet made him cool.

In 1839, Charles Goodyear of Akron, Ohio, developed the process of vulcanizing rubber. Prior to that time, rubber could neither live long nor prosper.

Teflon was invented by Roy Plunkett of New Carlisle, Ohio, in 1938 after he followed a recipe for homemade glue typed up by his dyslexic secretary.

Oberlin College was founded in 1833, with the goal of becoming the first interracial and coeducational college in the US. It took a lot of persuading to get people to part with perfectly good tuition money only to be forced to rub elbows with filthy Irishmen.

Civil War General and US President Ulysses S. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. His only notable accomplishments were getting really drunk and killing people. Which means that if Ted Kennedy ever became president, we'd soon have a new portrait on the $50 bill.

TooManyFords

10-24-2007, 08:49 PM

North Dakota became the 39th state on November 2, 1889. It was originally settled by Canadians searching for somewhere to live that wasn't cold and boring. The expedition was, of course, a miserable failure.

Westhope, North Dakota, is the state's busiest point of entry into Canada. Over 72,000 people per year cross the border there - mostly Hollywood types making good on their promises to leave the country after Bush was elected.

Dakota Gasification Co. of Beulah, North Dakota is the nation's only producer of "synthetic natural gas" - an oxymoron of a degree second only to "peaceful Muslim".

Writing Rock State Historical Site near Grenora, North Dakota, features two granite boulders with carvings of the mythological Thunderbird. Which is either an example of early Indian religion or a declaration of their love for cheap, fortified wine.

North Dakota got its name from the Sioux Indian word "Da-ko-ta", meaning "pasty white guys"

The town of Rugby, North Dakota, is the geographical center of the North American continent, which - for those of you with public school educations - is the one that's right above that ice-cream-cone-shaped continent.

In 1987, North Dakota passed a law making English the state's official language, as a direct snub to those who only speak Canadian.

"Whut's dat aboot, eh?" - I mean, who can understand THAT goofy monkey-jabber?

In 1989, North Dakota attempted to drop the word "North" from the state's name, seeking to become known simply as "Dakota". The bill was defeated after their neighbor to the south threatened to change its name to "Smart Dakota".

Max Taubert of Casselton, North Dakota built a 50-foot-tall pyramid out of empty oil cans. Experts are still debating whether Taubert was an artistic genius or just a lazy slob who couldn't remember that trash day was Tuesday.

Devil's Lake - the largest natural body of water in North Dakota - got it's name from a mistranslation of the Sioux Indian word "Miniwaukan", which actually means "Satan's Urinal".

The Dakota Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson, North Dakota, contains dozens of complete dinosaur skeltons and celebrates the North Dakota state recreational pastime of watching things slowly turn to stone.

Harvey, North Dakota... no relation

The largest state-owned sheep research center in the US is located in Hettinger, North Dakota, and specializes in trying to discover what it is about sheep that makes ordinary men suddenly unable to quit each other.

The original grave of Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull can be found in Fort Yates, North Dakota. His last words before being killed in 1890 were "Me think-um white man not have guts to pull trigger".

Jamestown, North Dakota is home to the world's largest buffalo statue. It's 26 feet tall, weighs 60 tons and features a small plaque at its base that says "Yes, we KNOW it's actually a 'bison'. We don't care. Shut up."

North Dakota grows more sunflowers than any other state, which is why they were going to name their NFL expansion team the "Sunflowers". It's also why the last NFL expansion franchise was granted to Houston, instead.

The historic Opera House in Ellendale, North Dakota was shut down after 90 years of successful operation in 1999 when it made the regrettable decision to put on performances of the controversial musical, "The Pedophiles of Penzance".

A "flickertail" is a small ground squirrel native to North Dakota which gets its name from its characteristic manner of flicking its tail just before entering its burrow. Sorta like the way a Democrat flinches upon hearing good news out of Iraq.

North Dakota's biggest tourist attraction is the annual Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo, which is the one time of year when residents can chase, tackle, and tie up animals for pleasure without running afoul of the state's beastiality laws.

Before becoming President, Teddy Roosevelt came to the Dakota territory in 1883 to hunt bison. He left in 1898 to fight in the Spanish-American War because he thought it would be more fun to hunt Spaniards.

Known as "The Small, Friendly German Town on the Dakota Prairie", New Leipzig, North Dakota, hosts an annual Oktoberfest celebration during which it invades and conquers the neighboring city of New Paris.

Every year, New Rockford, North Dakota hosts the Central North Dakota Steam Threshers Reunion, which features a variety of antique farm machinery, some of which is so old that it's actually been used to harvest non-government subsidized crops.

Fort Berthold Community College near New Town, North Dakota, was the first tribally chartered college in North Dakota and offers courses in casino operations and victim-card playing.

Rutland, North Dakota created the World's Largest Hamburger. Over nine thousand people came to sample the nearly two-ton burger, and all of them went home hungry, since Michael Moore was first in line.

Turtle Lake, North Dakota hosts the annual United States Turtle Racing Championship. The losers of the race compete again later in the day during the United States Turtle Soup Cook-off.

Bismark, North Dakota features a statue of Lewis & Clark's Indian guide Sacagewea. She's depicted gazing westward toward the country she helped open, while the baby strapped to her back is shown giving the finger eastward to the country that forced his mom to live on a reservation.

The Lewis & Clark expedition encountered hungry grizzly bears in North Dakota, which is also where they lost their first Indian guide, Snackagewea.

North Dakota's highest point, White Butte, features numerous small piles of rocks. Known as shepherder's monuments, they were piled there by sheepherders as a way to pass the time. Sorta like a primitive version of Microsoft Solitaire.

The International Peace Garden straddles the international boundary between North Dakota and the Canadian province of Manitoba. Like the peace movement itself, it's filled entirely with pansies.

The Fort Union Trading Post in North Dakota was the principal fur-trading site in the region from 1829 to 1867. It was one of the few places in the country where no one would raise an eyebrow upon hearing the phrase "I'm going into town to see if I can trade my beaver for a bottle of whiskey".

96DiamondVIII

10-25-2007, 04:55 PM

I don't know where you're getting these, but do you have one for North Carolina?

TooManyFords

10-25-2007, 05:02 PM

North Carolina became the 12th state on November, 21st, 1789. Then, as now, it was the nation's leading producer of tobacco products and is the only state in the US whose constitution includes a Surgeon General's warning.

The state song of North Carolina is a wet, hacking cough.

Although Carolina is currently considered a woman's name, North Carolina was actually named for England's King Charles I, since the Latin word "Carolus" means both "Charles" and "mincing poofter girly-man".

In 1903, the Wright Brothers had their first successful airplane flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Although early flights barely left the ground, they were quite popular among amorous couples seeking to join the "10-foot-high club".

In the early 1700's Beaufort Town, North Carolina was a notorious haven for pirates - cruel, dim-witted men with foul mouths and poor personal hygiene who wouldn't hesitate to use violence to get their way. Rather like hippies, except with bigger boats.

The famous lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina had to be moved due to erosion problems, due in large part to endless streams of tourists spitting over the rail of the observation deck.

The state bird of North Carolina is the Cardinal, which I assume was chosen for its red neck.

The Andy Griffith show was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. It was based on an actual city, but to appease the censors, they changed Otis' role to town drunk instead of his real job as Aunt Bea's pimp.

North Carolina's state vegetable is the Sweet Potato, which was chosen by the state's majority population of Sweet Irish.

Harker Island, North Carolina, is home to the annual Core Sound Duck Decoy Festival which boasts more fake but accurate items than a CBS news broadcast.

The WWII battleship North Carolina was preserved as a museum in 1963 as a reminder to the Japs that they should stick to tending goldfish.

The first English Colony in America was at Roanoke Island, North Carolina. The entire population vanished without a trace in 1590, which is not as mysterious as it sounds, since the colony consisted entirely of deadbeat dads.

The state motto of North Carolina is "Esse quam videri", which is Latin for "arrogant basketball snobs".

At nearly 6700 feet, North Carolina's Mount Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi and is rumored to be the hiding place of the notorious terrorist Bubba bin Laden.

Krispy Kreme Donuts was started in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The donuts are staggeringly popular throughout the US, despite the fact that their name is an obvious euphemism for "stale filling".

The Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant which is native to North Carolina. It will eat dead flies, spoiled hamburger, and most other things commonly found in the kitchen at McDonalds.

The first miniature golf course was built in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and was originally invented to appeal to tourists who hate exercise, but really enjoy frustrated cursing.

Babe Ruth hit the first of his record 714 home runs while playing in Fayetteville, North Carolina on March 7, 1914. He also hit his first peanut vendor in the process - his record for that (179) remains unbroken to this day.

The Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina is America's largest home. Designed by architect Mike Brady, it contains 255 rooms and a single, shared, upstairs bathroom with no toilet.

The first state-owned art museum is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. All modern art exhibits there are limited by law to 1.6 gallons per flush.

North Carolina's Grandfather Mountain is designated by the UN as an "International Biosphere Reserve", which is just a polite way of saying "a place for the French to hide in case they get frightened by a loud noise or something".

The Mile-High Swinging Bridge near Linville, North Carolina, is 5305 feet above sea level. It wasn't originally designed to swing, but that's Union labor for ya.

Pepsi was invented in New Bern, North Carolina in 1898. The secret ingredient in the beverage is a closely-guarded secret, but here's a hint: the beverage was originally called "Peesi".

The town of Wendell, North Carolina, was named for Oliver Wendell Holmes, or possibly for that pale, sickly kid on the Simpsons.

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer started his career playing on the championship golf team of Wake Forest University. He's credited with inventing the "casually kick the ball closer to the hole maneuver" now popularly known as "Palmering".

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1822 Hiram Rhoades Revels became the first black member of the US Congress - inexplicably, without Jesse Jackson's help.

17th President Andrew Johnson started out as a tailor's apprentice in Raleigh, North Carolina. He became the first President in American history to be impeached, but was acquitted in his Senate trial, since his crimes DID include lying about diddling an intern.

North Carolina leads the nation in furniture production, and is famous for its leather sofas made from the skins of unlucky NASCAR drivers.

North Carolina was the first state in the US to establish a state symphony orchestra, which consisted of a jug, a washboard, and a washtub bass.

In 1987, North Carolina declared milk to be the official state beverage when the clerk typing up the bill inadvertently misspelled "moonshine".

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, televangelist Billy Graham - like Osama bin Laden - used the power of modern media to spread his religious message. Fortunately, his followers usually became naggy church ladies instead of suicide bombers.