In school we were taught important facts about each state: Missouri was the Show Me state, Texas was once a republic, Philadelphia, PA was the first U.S. capitol, eight presidents were born in Ohio. But those are just basic facts; what about the fun, odd, and downright bizarre facts about what makes America’s states great? This is a list of 15 strange things about the states that you probably didn’t know.
15. Alabama
Image: Unclaimed Baggage Center
Did the airlines ever lose your luggage, never to return? If so, you might want to take a trip to Alabama. Scottsboro, Alabama, is home to the Unclaimed Baggage Center, a 40,000 square-foot warehouse where unclaimed luggage and its contents go to die – or get reclaimed. Just how much luggage does the airlines lose? Well, the store gets 7,000 new items a day!
14. Arizona
Image: AP
You’ve heard of the state bird and the state flag, but how about the official state neckwear? Arizona was the first state to have an Official Neckwear designation, the bolo tie, which became official in 1971. While we wish we could say Arizona was alone, New Mexico and Texas also found it necessary to formally recognize the bolo tie.
13. California
Image: University of Nebraska, Reno
California is the only state to have hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympics. The 1960 Winter Games were held in Squaw Valley. The 1932 and 1984 Summer Games were held in Los Angeles. L.A. hosts the upcoming 2028 Olympics.
12. Delaware
Image: WattAgNet
Chickens actually outnumber residents of Delaware by more than 200 to 1. The number has been alarming to some experts in the state, who point out that the poultry industry adds significant environmental harm due to pollution and manure. The industry is expected to grow by a million more chickens, far outpacing the number of babies being born in the state.
11. Florida
Image: Visit St. Augustine
Ponce de León is said to have come to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth. Some say he believed he found it near St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century.There are many springs in the area which claim to be the famous fountain.
10. Georgia
Image: Reddit
Georgia has had five state capitals. The capitals moved west along with westward expansion of the U.S. The first capital was Savannah. The capital moved to Augusta when white settlers defeated and removed Native Americans who lived in the state’s interior. When the state needed a bigger building it chose Louisville, but it took ten years to build (and forcibly remove) Native Americans. In 1802 Creek lands west of Louisville were ceded to Georgia, prompting a move west into Midgeville. Atlanta became the capital after the Union won the Civil War.
9. Hawaii
Image: Go Hawaii
According to a recent study published in JAMA journal, Hawaiians have the longest life expectancy of any U.S. state. people born in Hawaii have an average lifespan of 81.3 years. Hawaiians have the lowest obesity rate (19%) and are the least likely to smoke.
8. Indiana
Image: The Paper
The first city to use street lights was Wabash, Indiana. The date was March 31, 1880. The first official demonstration of street lamps was conducted in Cleveland the year before, but the Wabash Common Council had voted the previous month to allow the Brush Electric Light Company to hang its arc-lamps from the city’s Courthouse dome. The light was 3,000 candlepower, which is 200 times brighter than a contemporary filament lamps. It was invented by Cleveland native Charles Brush.
7. Louisiana
Image: USA Today
Milk is the official drink of Louisiana. It was named state drink in 1983.
6. Massachusetts
Image: Fun 101
Thanks to Blue Laws still on the books, snoring husbands are illegal in MA. If a man snores iwth the window opened he can be sent to the pillory.
5. Nebraska
Image: Ghosts of North America
Monowi, Nebraska is an incorporated village in Boyd County with an official population of 1according to the 2010 census. Elsie Eiler is the Mayor, and she grants herself a liquor license and pays taxes to herself. she maintains the town’s four street lights and also runs the Monowi Tavern. In addition, she maintains Rudy’s Library, a 5,000-volume library named for her late husband, Rudy.
4. Ohio
Image: Reddit
The Y Bridge in Zanesville is certified by “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” as the only bridge in the world which you can cross and still be on the same side of the river. First built in 1814 to span the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum Rivers, the current bridge is the fifth iteration of the same concept.
3. Pennsylvania
Image: DelGrosso’s
Tipton, PA is home to a park dedicated to pasta. DelGrosso’s Park was originally opened on a family farm in 1907. The DelGrosso family purchased it in 1946. The family owns a pasta company and therefore themed the park around Italian pasta and sauce.
2. Rhode Island
Image: Wikipedia
American Civil War general Ambrose Burnside, later the Governor of Rhode Island, is to blame (or credit) for the concept of sideburns. although men as far back as Alexander the Great sported the facial hair, in America it really took off after Burnside sported very thick sideburns connected by a mustache.
1. Wyoming
Image: The American Southwest
Wyoming is a completely landlocked state, but it has 35 islands within its borders. Confused? It doesn’t take an ocean to create an island. Land masses inside lakes also count as islands.