Hi there! Welcome to a fun journey across the United States with some amazing facts about each state. Let’s dive into these interesting tidbits, starting with the order in which the states joined the U.S., just like the state quarter system did. Ready? Let’s go!
Did you know that Delaware’s state wildlife animal is the gray fox? This happened because a group of fourth graders wrote letters to their state leaders as part of an English lesson. How cool is that?
Pennsylvania is home to the oldest zoo in the U.S., the Philadelphia Zoo. It was planned in 1859 but didn’t open until 1874 because of the Civil War. Today, it has over 1,300 animals!
New Jersey boasts the world’s largest spoon collection, with over 5,000 spoons. That’s a lot of spoons!
Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, had several names before settling on Atlanta. It was once called Terminus, Thrasherville, and Marthasville.
Connecticut was home to a theme park called Holy Land USA, which had replicas of famous biblical places like Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Massachusetts had the first public beach in the U.S., Revere Beach, and the first public park, Boston Common. A great place for a day out!
Maryland is known as the Free State because it didn’t enforce Prohibition, a time when alcohol was banned in the U.S.
If you want to be a fortune teller in South Carolina, you need a special permit. That’s a unique job requirement!
The movie “Jumanji” was filmed in Keene, New Hampshire. There’s even a fictional shoe company ad from the movie still visible downtown.
In 2012, a cat named Hank ran for Senate in Virginia and came in third place! His slogan was “Vote the humans out.”
L. Frank Baum, who wrote “The Wizard of Oz,” was born in Chicago, Illinois. New York celebrates with a festival called Oz-stravaganza.
The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina is the largest privately owned home in America, still owned by the Vanderbilt family.
Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to become a state, but Bristol has celebrated the Fourth of July every year since 1785.
Vermont has the most covered bridges per square mile of any state. They’re like stepping back in time!
Kentucky has both a state song and a state bluegrass song. Music is a big part of life there!
Ohio is home to the world’s largest rubber stamp and the world’s largest basket. Talk about big art!
Pirates Jean and Pierre Lafitte smuggled goods into Louisiana but later helped win the Battle of New Orleans.
The Lost River in Indiana is about 85 miles long, with 23 miles flowing underground. It’s a hidden wonder!
In 1969, Hurricane Camille split an island into West Ship Island and East Ship Island in Mississippi.
In Alabama, houses on the Magnolia River get their mail delivered by boat. It’s the only place in the U.S. with year-round boat mail delivery!
Kansas City, Missouri, has more fountains than any city except Rome. It’s a city of water wonders!
Arkansas gets its name from a term used by the Aloni American Indian tribe, meaning “people of the south wind.”
In Michigan, you’re never more than 85 miles away from a Great Lake. Water is always nearby!
In 2012, a goat from Florida set a world record for skateboarding the farthest distance by a goat, covering 118 feet!
Texas is home to Selena Gomez. If Texas were its own country, it would be the 40th largest in the world!
Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, was born in Iowa.
Wisconsin is known as the troll capital of the world, with troll statues all around town.
The California grizzly bear became the state’s official animal in 1953, even though the last wild grizzly was seen in 1922.
Minnesota has a state muffin: the blueberry muffin. Yum!
Oregon has the most ghost towns of any state. Spooky!
Kansas is home to some amazing fictional characters, like Clark Kent and Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.”
Nevada has the most mountain ranges of any state. It’s a hiker’s paradise!
Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska. It’s a refreshing fact!
The song “America the Beautiful” was inspired by Pikes Peak in Colorado, written by English professor Kathy Lee Bates.
North Dakota is the least visited state by tourists. It’s a hidden gem!
South Dakota is famous for Mount Rushmore, a monumental sculpture of four U.S. presidents.
Montana experienced the biggest temperature shift in a 24-hour period in U.S. history in 1972. Talk about weather changes!
Pictionary, the fun drawing game, was invented by a waiter from Seattle, Washington.
Idaho’s Sun Valley was one of the first ski resorts in the U.S. It’s a snowy adventure!
Oklahoma had the fewest state quarters minted. It’s a rare find!
New Mexico’s election in 2000 was very close. Every vote counts!
It’s illegal to damage a saguaro cactus in Arizona. They’re protected and special!
Alaska has a longer coastline than all the other states combined. It’s a vast and beautiful place!
Despite the show “Hawaii Five-O,” Hawaii doesn’t have a statewide police force. It’s a unique island state!
Thanks for joining this fun journey across the 50 states! Remember, there’s always something new to learn and explore. Keep being awesome!
Let’s play a matching game! Create a set of cards with each card featuring a fun fact from the article. On separate cards, write the name of the state that corresponds to each fact. Mix them up and try to match each state with its correct fact. This will help you remember interesting details about each state!
Choose your favorite state from the article and create a colorful poster that highlights its fun fact. Include drawings, pictures, and additional information about the state. Present your poster to the class and share why you chose that particular state and fact.
Prepare a trivia quiz for your classmates based on the fun facts from the article. Write down questions and multiple-choice answers. Host a quiz session and see who can answer the most questions correctly. This is a fun way to test your knowledge and learn more about the states!
Work in small groups to create a short skit that acts out one of the fun facts from the article. Use props and costumes to make it engaging. Perform your skit for the class and see if they can guess which state and fact you are representing!
Start a journal where you write down one fun fact about a different state each day. Include a small drawing or picture related to the fact. Over time, you’ll have a collection of interesting facts about all 50 states. This will help you remember and appreciate the diversity of the United States!
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
—
Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to Mental Floss on YouTube! Once upon a time, we did a video with 50 facts about 50 states, and people liked it. It turns out that there are more facts about those same 50 states, so let’s do it again! Last time we went alphabetically, but this time I’m going to mix it up and go in order of the states’ admission into the U.S. because that’s what the state quarter system did.
That means we’re going to start with Delaware. Did you know that Delaware’s state wildlife animal has been the gray fox since 2010? This was thanks to a fourth-grade class that started a letter-writing campaign to state legislators as part of an English lesson.
Pennsylvania contains the oldest zoo in the United States, the Philadelphia Zoo, which was chartered in 1859 but didn’t open until 1874 due to the Civil War. The zoo is known for having over 1,300 animals.
New Jersey is home to the world’s largest spoon collection, boasting over 5,000 spoons. The capital of Georgia, Atlanta, was named Terminus, then Thrasherville, and finally Marthasville before citizens settled on Atlanta.
Connecticut was home to the now-closed theme park Holy Land USA, which featured replicas of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the Garden of Eden. Massachusetts had the first public beach in the United States, Revere Beach, as well as the first public park, Boston Common.
Maryland is known as the Free State because they refused to enforce Prohibition. In 1923, a satirical article suggested that Maryland should secede to continue selling alcohol, and the nickname stuck.
In South Carolina, if you want to be a fortune teller, you need a permit. The classic American film “Jumanji” was filmed in Keene, New Hampshire, where a fictional shoe company advertisement still remains on a building downtown.
In 2012, a tie-wearing cat named Hank came in third place in Virginia’s Senate election. His campaign slogan was “Vote the humans out.”
The author of “The Wizard of Oz,” L. Frank Baum, was born in Chicago, Illinois. New York has a yellow brick road downtown and hosts an annual festival called Oz-stravaganza.
America’s largest privately owned home is the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, which is still owned by the Vanderbilts. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to become a state, but Bristol has celebrated the Fourth of July every year since 1785.
Vermont has the most covered bridges per square mile of any state. Kentucky has both a state song and a state bluegrass song.
Ohio is home to the world’s largest rubber stamp and the world’s largest basket. Pirates Jean and Pierre Lafitte smuggled goods into Louisiana during the early 1800s but later helped Andrew Jackson win the Battle of New Orleans.
The Lost River of Indiana is about 85 miles long, with 23 of those miles completely underground. In 1969, Hurricane Camille hit Mississippi, dividing an island into West Ship Island and East Ship Island.
In Alabama, houses on the Magnolia River have their mail delivered by boat, making it the only place in the U.S. with year-round boat delivery.
Kansas City, Missouri, is second only to Rome for the most fountains in one city. Arkansas derives its name from a term used by the Aloni American Indian tribe, meaning “people of the south wind.”
In Michigan, you are never more than 85 miles away from a Great Lake. In 2012, a goat from Florida broke the world record for the farthest distance skateboarded by a goat, covering 118 feet.
Texas is home to Selena Gomez, and if Texans’ dreams came true and they seceded, Texas would be the 40th largest country in the world. Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, was born in Iowa.
Wisconsin prides itself on being the troll capital of the world, with statues of trolls around town. The California grizzly bear became the official animal of the state in 1953, even though the last wild grizzly bear was seen in California in 1922.
Minnesota has a state muffin: the blueberry muffin. The state with the most ghost towns is Oregon. Kansas is home to some amazing fictional characters, including Clark Kent and Dorothy.
Nevada has the most mountain ranges of any state, and Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska. The song “America the Beautiful” was written by English professor Kathy Lee Bates after a trip to Pikes Peak in Colorado.
North Dakota is the least visited state by tourists, while South Dakota is known for Mount Rushmore. Montana experienced the biggest temperature shift within a 24-hour period in U.S. history in 1972.
Pictionary was invented by a waiter from Seattle, Washington. Idaho’s Sun Valley was one of the first ski resorts in the U.S. Harry Longabaugh, known as the Sundance Kid, inspired the film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
In Oklahoma, the fewest state quarters were minted, while New Mexico’s election in 2000 was very close. It’s illegal to damage a saguaro cactus in Arizona, and Alaska has a longer coastline than every other state combined.
Lastly, despite the popularity of the show “Hawaii Five-O,” Hawaii does not have a statewide police force.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss here on YouTube! Every week, we endeavor to answer one of your mind-blowing questions. This week’s question comes from a viewer who asks why Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn. The unicorn was chosen by King Robert III in the 1300s as a symbol of purity and strength.
Thanks again for watching, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
—
This version removes any inappropriate or irrelevant content while maintaining the essence of the original transcript.
States – Large areas of land that are part of a country, each with its own government and laws. – There are 50 states in the United States, each with its own unique history and geography.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – In history class, we learned about the ancient civilizations that once thrived in different parts of the world.
Geography – The study of Earth’s landscapes, environments, and the relationships between people and their environments. – Geography helps us understand how mountains and rivers shape the way people live.
Animals – Living organisms that can move independently and are not plants, fungi, or bacteria. – Many animals, like bears and deer, can be found in the national parks across the country.
Capital – A city where a region’s government is located. – Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States, where important government buildings are found.
Mountains – Large natural elevations of the Earth’s surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level. – The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in North America, known for their stunning peaks and wildlife.
Rivers – Large natural streams of water flowing in channels to the sea, a lake, or another river. – The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in the United States, playing a crucial role in transportation and trade.
Islands – Pieces of land surrounded by water. – The Hawaiian Islands are famous for their beautiful beaches and volcanic landscapes.
Parks – Large public green areas in towns, used for recreation. – Yellowstone National Park is known for its geothermal features and diverse wildlife.
Beaches – Sandy or pebbly shores by the ocean, sea, or a large lake. – Many tourists visit the beaches of Florida to enjoy the sun and surf.
