50 Astonishing Facts About Every State: Part 2

Montana

The temperature in Loma once climbed from -54 degrees F to 49 degrees within 24 hours—the largest one-day hike ever recorded.

Nebraska

About 80 percent of the world’s sandhill crane population alights on Nebraska’s Platte River during the cranes’ annual spring migration, bringing with them thousands of bird-watchers.

Nevada

From 1951 to 1992, a swath of land about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas was used for hundreds of nuclear weapons tests.

New Hampshire

This state’s license plates—bearing the slogan “Live Free or Die”—are made by prison inmates.

New Jersey

When it comes to the Garden State, remember two things: horses and divorces. New Jersey has more horses per square mile than any other state, including Kentucky, and the lowest divorce rate in the country.

New Mexico

According to New Mexico state law, “idiots” are not allowed to vote. The statute doesn’t give a clear definition of who fits that description.

New York

Twice a year, the setting sun aligns perfectly with the Manhattan street grid, illuminating the borough’s east-west streets with an orange glow.

North Carolina

The Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, is the largest privately-owned home in the country, with more than four acres of floor space and 250 rooms (including 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms).

North Dakota

In 2007, North Dakota nabbed the Guinness World Record for Most People Making Snow Angels Simultaneously. The State Historical Society of North Dakota organized the event and rounded up 8,962 people on the Capitol’s lawn to participate.

Ohio

Half of the presidents who died in office were from Ohio: William Harrison, James Garfield, William McKinley, and Warren G. Harding.

Oklahoma

It appears to serve up the only official state meal: a heaping plateful of fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken-fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas.

Oregon

It boasts the nation’s fastest talkers, according to an analysis of consumer phone calls placed to businesses across the country.

Pennsylvania

This state’s name is spelled Pensylvania on the Liberty Bell. The Constitution uses one n in one section and two n’s in another.

Rhode Island

The smallest state in the country shares a state water border with New York.

South Carolina

The Angel Oak Tree, located near Charleston, is estimated to be one of the oldest living things in the country. It produces a shadow that covers about 17,000 square feet.

South Dakota

Catching some z’s must be easier in South Dakota, which one survey found is the least sleep-deprived state in the country.

Tennessee

On a clear day, seven states are visible from Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga. But you don’t have to look further than Chattanooga for the largest freshwater aquarium in the world.

Texas

The phrase “Don’t mess with Texas” originated in 1985 as the slogan for a campaign meant to combat littering. It has gone on to be a very famous line within the state and even appears on the crest of the USS Texas submarine.

Utah

The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry holds the highest concentration of Jurassic-era remains ever found. More than 12,000 dinosaur bones (and one egg!) have been excavated since the 1920s.

Vermont

Don’t visit the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line unless you’re prepped for travel. The stage is in Canada, while the fans watch from Vermont; the entrance is in the U.S., while the stacks are in lumberjack country.

Virginia

Virginia ranks number one in patriotism among the 50 states, according to one WalletHub survey, which based its list on factors like military and civic engagement.

Washington

The world’s largest building by volume—Boeing’s final assembly factory in Everett—spans 98.3 acres and 472 million cubic feet. Seventy-five football fields could fit inside.

West Virginia

In 1776, a group of residents asked the Continental Congress to create a 14th colony called Westylvania, including parts of West Virginia and surrounding areas; the plea was ignored.

Wisconsin

When the state dance is the polka, it’s awfully convenient that A World of Accordions, a museum with more than 1,000 types of squeeze-boxes, is also found in the state.

Wyoming

There are only two sets of escalators in the entire state.

SOURCE: READER’S DIGEST