Tag Archives: states

Trivia’s Facts and More (12/20)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

How many people is “two pairs of twins twice”?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Arkansas becomes the 25th state in the American Union on June 15, 1936.  The name “Arkansas” is a name used by French explorers, and it refers to the Quapaw native people.

Here are a few interesting facts about Arkansas:

  • Capital City:  Little Rock
  • State Bird:  Mockingbird
  • State Flower:  Apple Blossom
  • State Motto:  Regnat Populus (The People Rule)
  • Major Rivers:  Arkansas and Red

Arkansas uses two different nicknames:  Land of Opportunity and The Natural State.  The Natural State recognizes the state’s diverse landscape of mountains, lakes, hot springs, and forests.  Numerous natural hot springs can be found, and they welcome people who visit with hopes of finding relief from certain illnesses.

In 1803, the United States greatly expands its land size when the Louisiana Purchase is bought with France.  As part of these new lands, Arkansas becomes a territory in 1819.  The state features many key battlefield sites from the American Civil War.

In 1932, Hattie Caraway becomes the first American woman elected to the United States Senate.  The 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, is born in Hope (1946).

The state’s economy has transformed from its reliance on agriculture to a more diversified one.  Corporations founded in Arkansas have led the way, such as Walmart and Tyson Foods.

In 1957, landmark school integration is enforced by the federal government.  With a U.S. Army escort, nine courageous African-American students attend a now integrated high school in Little Rock, and become known as the “Little Rock Nine.”

During World War II, two major Japanese internment settlements are established at Rohwer and Jerome.

top left and MOVING clockwise:  little rock nine, hot springs national park, Ozark mountains, apple blossom, mockingbird, state capitol in little rock, Ouachita mountains, japanese internment settlement in rohwer, u.s. senator hattie caraway.   (Courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Eight (2 x 2 x 2)

Trivia’s Facts and More (11/22)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

I start with M, and end with X, and have a never-ending amount of letters.  What am I?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

On November 11, 1889, Washington becomes the 42nd American state.  Named for President George Washington, it is the only state named for a former President.

Here are a few interesting facts about Washington:

  • Capital City:  Olympia
  • Largest Cities:  Seattle (755,078), Spokane (229,447), Tacoma (222,906)
  • State Bird:  Willow Goldfinch
  • State Flower:  Coast Rhododendron
  • State Motto:  Alki (By and By)

Nicknamed the “Evergreen State,” Washington’s landscape is nearly 50 percent covered in forests.  Forest climate zones border both the western and eastern boundaries with the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains.  The interior region is more arid and better suited for dryland and irrigated agriculture.

Five active volcanoes are located in the Cascade Range.  The tallest is Mount Rainier at 14,410 feet above sea level.  The peak’s native name is Tahoma, and it is located 59 miles south-southeast of Seattle.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens collapses from a cataclysmic volcanic eruption.  While Mount St. Helens remains an active volcano, scientists continue to monitor all of the active volcanoes as much of Washington’s population lives within a significant danger zone.  

Washington is well-known for its agricultural produce as it leads the nation in harvested apples, sweet cherries, pears, and red raspberries.  Nearly 8 billion pounds of apples are harvested each year, which is about 60 percent of the annual crop in the United States.

Washington’s topography is filled with many vistas, which welcome countless visitors to the state.  Here is a sample of its natural and manmade wonders:

  • Hoh Rainforest:  Only temperate rainforest located in the continental United States
  • Waterfalls (too numerous to list all):  Colonial Creek, Marymere, Nooksack, and Spokane
  • Grand Coulee Dam:  One of the largest hydroelectric dams in the nation (completed in 1942)

The largest city, Seattle, offers numerous attractions.  The Evergreen Floating Bridge brings vehicles over Lake Washington.  The Space Needle still stands after being built for the 1962 World’s Fair.  Pike Place Market continues to be an attraction for visitors who want to experience its lively atmosphere as well as purchase produce, seafood, and artwork.  

top left and MOVING clockwise: state capitol in olympia, mount st. helens before its eruption, mount st. helens after its eruption, SEATTLE’S evergreen point floating bridge, nooksack falls, seattle’s pike place market, willow goldfinch, spokane falls, seattle’s space needle, mount rainier, hoh rainforest, grand coulee dam, coast rhododendron.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Mailbox.

Trivia’s Facts and More (10/11)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

Three different doctors said that Paul is their brother, yet Paul claims he has no brothers.  Who is lying?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

The American state of Arizona is granted statehood as the nation’s 48th on February 14, 1912.  Its admission completes the geographic puzzle with the final piece of the contiguous states.

Here are a few interesting facts about Arizona:

  • Capital City:  Phoenix (most populous state capital in the U.S.)
  • Nickname:  Grand Canyon State 
  • State Bird:  Cactus Wren
  • State Flower:  Saguaro Cactus Blossom
  • State Motto:  Ditat Deus (God Enriches)

Known for its average of approximately 300 sunny days each year, Arizona is one of the “Four Corner” states.  Arizona is joined by New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah as they share a common point where their borders meet.  

Arizona is well-known for its many natural wonders.  Just a handful of these include the Sonoran Desert, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Sunset Crater, Saguaro National Park, Lake Mead, Colorado River, Vermilion Cliffs, and Lake Powell.  The Grand Canyon is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Flagstaff, which is located in the mountainous northern region of the state, provides a home for the Lowell Observatory.  In 1930, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh is credited with the discovery of the dwarf planet Pluto.

Arizona remains the home of 23 Native American reservations, which include 21 different tribal groups.  The largest reservation is the home of the Navajo nation.  The Hopi people have lived in the Arizona territory for over 1,000 years.

The state is honored with 22 national parks and monuments.  Over half of Arizona’s landscape is above the elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level.  The state does not observe daylight savings time.

The economy of Arizona is based upon the interaction of the five C’s:  copper, cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate.  It is the largest copper producing state in the U.S., and cotton is one of its leading agricultural crops.  The arid landscape and climate are well-suited for cattle ranching and citrus farming (tangerines and lemons).

top left and MOVING clockwise: barrington crater was used by nasa for apollo training, state bird cactus wren, geographic marker for the “four corners” where arizona meets three other states, state flower saguaro cactus blossom, yuma territorial prison, state capitol building, prescott’s frontier days is the world’s oldest rodeo, map showing arizona’s native american reservations, and lowell observatory in flagstaff.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

No one is lying because the three doctors are Paul’s sisters.

Trivia’s Facts and More (9/13)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

What is always in front of you but cannot be seen?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Granted statehood on April 30, 1812, Louisiana  becomes the 18th state of the United States.

Here are a few interesting facts about Louisiana:

  • Capital City:  Baton Rouge
  • Most Populous City:  New Orleans (362,701 in 2024)
  • Nickname:  Pelican State
  • State Bird:  Eastern Brown Pelican
  • State Flower:  Magnolia
  • State Motto:  Union, Justice, and Confidence

The origin of Louisiana’s name honors French King Louis XIV.  The city of New Orleans remains the center of Louisiana culture.  It features a richness of French and Spanish heritage along with the influences of Cajun and Creole traditions.  At its heart lies unique cuisine, jazz music, and the annual Mardi Gras.  These contrast with man-made elements of poverty and racial strife; and natural challenges of hurricanes, floods, and a slowly sinking land.

Louisiana offers a rich history to study.  The influence of Spanish and French footprints arrives through the interior waterway of the Mississippi River.  In 1541, Spaniard Hernando de Soto explores the region.  In 1682, Frenchman Rene-Robert Cavelier de La Salle travels into the territory.

Before its statehood, history pivots frequently during the Louisiana’s chapters of time.  In 1755, French Acadians are forced out of Canada by the British.  Known today as Cajuns, they settle in Louisiana.  Throughout the early decades of the 1700s, Native Americans ally with either the French or the British as European military conflicts spill over into North America.

In 1803, the United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.  America’s land size doubles with this transaction.  During the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson leads a small army to victory at the Battle of New Orleans.  Due to the slow communications of this era, this final battle of the war takes place after a peace treaty is signed.

top left and MOVING clockwise: current state capitol building in baton rouge, french quarter of new orleans, map showing the land size of the louisiana purchase, Magnolia flower, scene from kisatchi national forest, eastern brown pelican, mardi Gras, old state capitol building.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Your future.

Trivia’s Facts and More (8/23)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

Name three consecutive days without naming any of the seven days of the week.

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Admitted to the American Union on May 23, 1788, South Carolina exchanges its English colonial roots to become the 8th state of the United States.

Here are a few interesting facts about South Carolina:

  • Capital City:  Columbia
  • Most Populous City:  Charleston
  • Nickname:  Palmetto State
  • State Bird:  Great Carolina Wren
  • State Flower:  Yellow Jessamine (known for its medicinal properties)
  • State Mottoes:  Amis Opibusque (Prepared In Mind And Resources) as well as Dum Spiro Spero (While I Breathe, I Hope)

From its colonial past, South Carolina is named for two English monarchs, Charles I and Charles II. The first battle of the American Civil War occurs at Fort Sumter in the Charleston harbor on April, 12, 1861. The state has proven to be a popular film-making destination for films such as:

  • The Notebook
  • The Patriot
  • Forest Gump
  • Sleeping with the Enemy

South Carolina is the only American state that owns and operates its own fleet of school buses.  Two of its leading industries have been tourism and textile manufacturing.  Sorry state of Georgia, but South Carolina is the largest producer of peaches, east of the Mississippi River.

South Carolina offers numerous attractions, landmarks, and cultural exhibits:

Brookgreen Gardens offers a botanical atmosphere in Georgetown County.  It is honored as America’s first public sculpture garden.

Near Charleston on Johns Island resides the angel oak, which is estimated to be up to 1,500 years old.

Near Cleveland, Raven Cliff Falls is the highest in the state, with a drop of 420 feet.

Every year on Bomb Island on Lake Murray, up to 750,000 purple martins return to roost on the uninhabited island.  The island is off-limits to humans during their stay.

There is a significant West African footprint with descendants of slaves.  The Gullah influence offers distinctive foods and basket-weaving.

Here is a final look at another selection of photographs:

top left and MOVING clockwise: state house in columbia at night, historical area of charleston, fort sumter, yellow jessamine, myrtle beach, and great carolina wren.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Trivia’s Facts and More (5/31)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

A butcher stands six feet and one inch tall and wears size 12 shoes.  What does he weigh?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Wisconsin enters the American Union as the 30th state on May 29, 1848.  There is much to embrace from the heart of “America’s Dairyland.”

Here are a few interesting facts about Wisconsin:

  • Capital city:  Madison
  • Most populated city:  Milwaukee (550,857)
  • Nickname:  Badger State
  • State flower:  Wood violet
  • State Motto:  Forward

Wisconsin’s nickname is not related to the animal.  Rather, early prospectors find shelter in a mine’s tunnels much like badgers.  The oldest city is Green Bay, which is settled in 1634 by French explorer Jean Nicolet.  He establishes a small trading post along Lake Michigan.

Wisconsin’s land size is similar to the American state of Georgia as well as the country of Tunisia.  As evidence of the most recent period of glacial activity, the state’s land area features over 15,000 lakes.  Lake Winnebago is the largest while the Wisconsin River flows as the state’s longest.  Natural borders include Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and the Mississippi River.

Visitors to the Badger State have been fascinated with many attractions.  The Wisconsin Dells is a popular themed water park.  Belmount Mound State Park is home to the Council House, which serves as the first territorial capitol in Belmont in 1836.  Baraboo Ridge offers a 25-mile long mountain-like Precambrian rock.  Untouched by the last glacial period, the Driftless Area plateau offers rugged hills and deep river valleys.

The topography of Wisconsin highlights its plains, forested areas, and rolling hills.  With an additional nickname as the “Cheese State,” the state leads the nation in cheese production.  The region exports from its substantial harvests of cranberries, sweet corn, and ginseng.

Many “firsts” have been recorded in Wisconsin’s history over the years.  Here is a quick summary of a few.

  • First commercially viable typewriter is invented by Christopher Latham Sholes in 1868.
  • Les Paul, nicknamed the “Wizard of Waukesha”, invents the electric guitar.
  • In 1873, Racine’s William and James Horlick invent malted milk.
  • Childhood friends Arthur Davidson and William Harley open up Harley-Davidson motorcycle manufacturing in Milwaukee in 1903.
  • In 1856 the first kindergarten class starts up in Watertown under the supervision of Margarethe Schurz.

top left and moving clockwise:  state capitol building in madison, state flower wood violet, historical marker for first KINDERGARTEN class, milwaukee skyline, christopher latham sholes typewriter, lake winnebago at miller’s bay, wisconsin dells tour boat, driftless area’s scenery.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Meat.

Trivia’s Facts and More (3/22)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

George, Helen, and Steve are drinking coffee.  Bert, Karen, and Dave are drinking Pepsi.  Following this pattern, is Elizabeth drinking coffee or Pepsi?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

The Oklahoma Territory of the United States gains statehood on November 16, 1907, as it becomes the 46th state.

Here are a few interesting facts about Oklahoma:

  • Capital City:  Oklahoma City (also the largest city)
  • Nickname:  Sooner State
  • State Bird:  Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
  • State Animal:  American Bison
  • State Motto:  Labor Omnia Vincit (Labor Conquers All Things)

The story of Oklahoma’s progression to statehood begins long before 1907.  During the administration of President Andrew Jackson, Congress passes the Indian Removal Act of 1830.  This legislation designates the Oklahoma Territory as Indian Territory, and it authorizes the President to move Native Americans from the lands east of the Mississippi River to those found west of it.

As thousands of Native tribes are displaced from their territorial homes, a “trail of tears” follows their forced migration to lands in the future state of Oklahoma.  These Native Americans include Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes, along with many others.  These five tribal nations are often called the “Five Civilized Tribes” by historians and others. 

The Dawes Act of 1887 allows further disruption in the Native Americans’ way of life.  Later on March 3, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison opens the unassigned lands of the Indian Territory to white settlement.  On April 22, 1889, the infamous Oklahoma Land Rush begins at 12:00 Noon.  Before the legitimate settlers make any claims, others designated as “Sooners” cross into the territory early.

A total of 38 Native American tribes reside in modern-day Oklahoma.  Only the states of Alaska and California have more.  About 13 percent of the present-day population of the Sooner State is Native American.

One of Oklahoma’s most famous citizens is Will Rogers.  Born on a large ranch in Cherokee Nation territory near the present-day community of Oologah, he goes on to become a cowboy, Broadway star, actor, writer, and humorist.

row 1:  state capitol building in oklahoma city, two more photos from Oklahoma city include the national cowboy hall of fame and oklahoma city skyline.  Row 2: “sooner schooner” mascot of the University of Oklahoma football team, scissor-tailed flycatcher, “trail of tears” statue inside the national cowboy hall of fame.  Row 3:  oklahoma state flag and will rogers.   (all images courtesy of PINTEREST)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Coffee, just like the other names with two “E’s”.  Those with one “E” drink Pepsi.

Trivia’s Facts and More (1/25)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

I have four wheels and invite plenty of flies (insects).  What am I?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Admitted to the American Union on May 29, 1790, Rhode Island is destined to be labeled as the smallest state in terms of land size.  It becomes the final of the original thirteen colonies to enter the United States.

Here are some interesting facts about Rhode Island:

  • Capital city:  Providence (largest city, population of 179,207)
  • Nickname:  Ocean State
  • State bird:  Rhode Island Red Hen
  • State flower:  Violet
  • State Motto:  Hope

With its small land area, Rhode Island is the second most-densely populated American state after New Jersey.  Within its 1,033 square miles of territory, New Jersey provides space for over 1,098,080 inhabitants.  In contrast, the state of Montana houses 1,142,750 people in a land area of 147,040 square miles.  

Tracing its roots back to 1636 as an English colony, Rhode Island is founded by Puritan leader, Roger Williams.  Banished from Massachusetts, he seeks religious freedom for his followers.  He nicknames the Rhode Island colony “Providence Plantations.”

In 1793, America’s first successful cotton mill begins operations.  Founded by Samuel Slater, Slater Mill is located along the Blackstone River in Pawtucket.  The site remains preserved as a living museum.

The city of Newport is known for its sailing history, and it provides a home for the U.S. Navy War College (founded in 1884).  Rhode Island is well-known for its 21 lighthouses, and several are located at Newport.  One of the most famous is the Ida Lewis Rock Lighthouse.

The state capitol in Providence features the world’s fourth largest self-supported marble dome.  Newport is know as the home for “summer cottages” of the rich and famous from years past.  Some of America’s richest families spend fortunes in building mansions of unforgettable splendor.

row 1:  one of rhode island’s many lighthouses, u.s. Navy war college, nighttime in providence,  Row 2:  state flag, state bird red hen, summer cottage at newport.  Row 3:  slater mill, state capitol.  (all images courtesy of pinterest)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

A garbage truck.

Trivia’s Facts and More (11/30)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

Simon has scored 14, 20, 22, and 16 points in four basketball games.  If his final average will reach 20 points per game, how many points must he score in a fifth game?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Admitted to the American Union on February 14, 1859, Oregon is the 33rd state of the United States.

Here are a few quick facts about Oregon:

  • Capital city:  Salem
  • Largest city:  Portland (population:  630,498)
  • Nickname:  Beaver State
  • State bird:  Western meadowlark
  • State tree:  Douglas fir
  • State motto:  Alis Volat Propiis (She Flies With Her Own Wings)

Oregon is well-known for its diverse landscape.  The western coastal region features rainforests, mountains, and fertile valleys.  The eastern side of the state offers a more arid and harsh environment with grasslands and deserts.

Oregon’s coastal mountain range is filled with an array of volcanic peaks.  From their ancient activity, numerous lava flows have created volcanic rock formations, which resemble a moon-like terrain.  During the 1960s, America’s space agency, NASA, utilizes this region to prepare Apollo astronauts for eventual travel to the Moon.

Another prominent holdover from these past volcanic times is Crater Lake, which is part of a national park (established in 1902).  America’s fifth oldest national park is home to the deepest lake in the United States, reaching 1,949 feet.  The crater’s basin is all that remains from a collapsed, ancient caldera.

Oregon leads the nation in growing a variety of crops:  peppermint, blackberries, boysenberries, longberries, black raspberries, and hazelnuts.  Wild mushroom hunting is legal, and a harvest of one gallon per day is allowed.  The state is the nation’s leading source of Christmas trees.

Oregon is one of five American states that do not levy a general sales tax (joining with Alaska, Montana, Delaware, and New Hampshire).  Eleven lighthouses provide safety for boats traveling along the state’s Pacific coastline.  

Moving from top left and clockwise:  pacific coast highway runs along the entire oregon coastline,  crater lake, state capitol building in salem, inside sea lion caves near florence, 1960’s nasa’s apollo training in central oregon’s moon country, Yaquina lighthouse near newport.  (Images courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

28.  He has currently scored a total of 72 points.  An average of 20 points per game for five games equals 100 total points.  

Trivia’s Facts and More (10/26)

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This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Being one of the original thirteen English colonies, the state of North Carolina is admitted as the 12th one to the American union on November 21, 1789.

Here are a few quick facts about North Carolina:

  • Capital city:  Raleigh
  • Most populous city:  Charlotte (874,579, based on 2020 census)
  • Bird:  cardinal
  • Flower:  flowering dogwood
  • Motto:  Esse Quam Videri (To Be, Rather Than To Seem)

North Carolina’s nickname of the Tar Heel State refers to its history of ship building.  From the state’s abundant pine forests, a variety of naval stores are extracted from these trees.  These include tar, pitch, and turpentine.

The state’s landscape features three major physiographic regions.  The physical geology includes the Coastal Plain (also called the tidewater), the Piedmont (low, rolling plateau), and the Blue Ridge (Appalachian Mountains).  

Located along the Atlantic coastline, Kitty Hawk is famously remembered as the site of the Wright brothers’ first of  its kind successful airplane flight.  One of the state’s license plate designs features the words, “First in Flight.” 

In 1587, Roanoke Island becomes the first English colony in North America.  The settlement is twenty years ahead of the founding of the Jamestown colony in 1607.  Later, the inhabitants mysteriously disappear.  

The communities of Winston and Salem originally sit about one mile apart.  In 1913, they merge together and become Winston-Salem.  The city claims to be the birthplace of Krispy Kreme donuts when the very first business opens in 1937 to sell them.

North Carolina produces nearly sixty percent of the sweet potato crop in the United States.  The tallest brick lighthouse in the United States is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which stands 210 feet tall after being rebuilt in 1870.

from top left and moving clockwise:  wright brothers making history at kitty hawk, cape hatteras lighthouse, sweet potato crop, flowering dogwood, and state capitol in raleigh.   (Images courtesy of Pinterest)

 

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Silence