The Most Historic Firsts from Every U.S. State
Updated: Jan. 25, 2024
Which state was the first to declare Christmas a legal holiday? And where was the nation's first football game played? Read on to find out!
Alabama
Alabama became the first U.S. state to observe Christmas as a legal holiday in 1836. And this state was way ahead of the curve; Christmas Day didn’t become a federal holiday for another 30 years. Here are 50 more astonishing facts you never knew about the 50 states.
Alaska
The Hammer Museum, the world’s first museum devoted exclusively to hammers, is located in Haines, Alaska. Its extensive collections offer everything from hammer sculptures, to handle-making machinery, to spring-loaded meat tenderizers. Check out these other little-known facts about America.
Arizona
You can thank Arizona for your next cross-country road trip. Local Arizonans created the nation’s first Route 66 association in 1987 and received the first-ever “Historic Route 66” designation, bringing new life to the now-famous Mother Road. Try these iconic bucket list ideas for every state.
Arkansas
In 1962, an Arkansan businessman named Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas with a $20,000 loan. Today, the discount mega-retailer has expanded to over 11,000 stores across 27 countries and makes over $100 billion in revenues each year.
California
Did you know that the famous fast-food chain McDonald’s calls California home? Brothers Maurice (“Mac”) and Richard McDonald opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1948. Back then, a plain hamburger cost 15 cents. Don’t miss the U.S. state facts everyone gets wrong.
Colorado
In 2012, the residents of Colorado voted to legalize cannabis (or marijuana) for recreational use. Both Colorado and Washington became the first U.S. states to do so that year. Other “firsts” quickly followed, including the nation’s first drive-through marijuana dispensaries.
Connecticut
The nation’s first phone book was published in New Haven in February 1878. Fun fact: The “book” was made with a single piece of cardboard and contained just 50 names.
Delaware
The original U.S. flag, which consisted of 13 stars arranged in a circle, was reportedly flown for the first time during the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge in Delaware on September 3, 1777. American General William Maxwell ordered his men to raise the Stars and Stripes banner as the rebels clashed with British troops.
Florida
It probably comes as no surprise that the Sunshine State is also the birthplace of sunscreen. A Miami pharmacist named Benjamin Green invented the first suntan lotion to protect himself from UV rays during World War II. We now know Green’s product as Coppertone sunscreen.
Georgia
It may be the most recognized soda in the world, but had humble beginnings. In 1886, inventor John Pemberton carried a jug of the sweet, carbonated beverage across the street to a small pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, where it was first sold at a soda fountain for five cents a glass. These are the most famous inventions from every state.
Hawaii
Before it became a U.S. state, Hawaii is said to have invented an original sport. Ancient Hawaiians created the very first surfboards, some of which could reach up to 150 feet in length.
Idaho
Colorado and Utah might be among the most popular destinations for skiers. But Sun Valley, Idaho has gone down in history as the home of America’s first ski resort.
Illinois
The Home Insurance Building, built in 1885 and located in Chicago, Illinois, claims to be the world’s first skyscraper. Designed by William Le Baron Jenney, who was known as the “Father of the Skyscraper,” it towered at a whopping 10 stories tall. Here’s the strangest fact from every state.
Indiana
Wabash, Indiana was illuminated by electric lights at 8 p.m. on March 31, 1880, becoming the first city in the world to be lit by electricity. To make it happen, four “Brush lights” were placed at the top of the Wabash courthouse.
Iowa
An Iowa State University physics professor named John Vincent Atanasoff, along with his graduate assistant Clifford Berry, invented the world’s first digital computer in the 1940s. They named it the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, or the ABC for short. Believe it or not, this early computer could only perform basic addition and subtraction—and was about the size of a desk.
Kansas
Susan Madora Salter was elected mayor of the city of Argonia in 1887, making her the first female mayor in the United States. Back then, she had to win the support of an all-male voter base; it would be more than 30 years before women could cast a ballot.
Kentucky
Mother’s Day was first celebrated by Kentucky schoolteacher Mary Towles Sasseen on April 20, 1887, which was her mother’s birthday. The holiday became increasingly popular over the years, and President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914.
Louisiana
New Orleans’s Théâtre de la Rue St. Pierre hosted the first documented opera performance in the United States on May 22, 1796. The production? Ernest Grétry’s Sylvain. Check out these iconic movies set in every state.
Maine
As the easternmost city in the United States, Eastport, Maine is considered the first place in the United States to see sunlight each morning.
Maryland
The world’s first telegraph was sent on May 24, 1844, from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland. The message simply said “What hath God wrought?,” a quote from the Bible. It was recorded on a paper tape and sent by inventor Samuel F.B. Morse.
Massachusetts
While several schools claim to be the first university in the United States, Harvard University is the most widely accepted one. Founded in 1636, the Ivy League school even got a special shout-out in the 1779 Massachusetts Constitution. Find out the U.S. trivia your teacher never taught you.
Michigan
The world’s first moving automobile assembly line, developed by Henry Ford, kicked off at a Hyland Park facility in 1913. In just one year, the plant decreased production time from 12 and a half hours to 93 minutes.
Minnesota
Hibbing, Minnesota is home to the nation’s very first bus line. When it was established in 1914, the route consisted of one bus that drove back and forth between the towns of Hibbing and Alice. The bus line eventually grew to become Greyhound Lines, Inc., inspiring the American bus industry as we know it today.
Mississippi
Both the world’s first lung and heart transplants were performed in the state of Mississippi. Dr. James D. Hardy, a surgeon at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, completed the world’s first human lung transplant in 1963. One year later, he also performed the first heart transplant surgery in the world.
Missouri
In 1904, Missouri hosted the first Olympics held in the United States. But because many European nations complained about the cost and time required to travel to the state’s capital, only 12 other countries participated. The United States ended up taking home 239 medals, the most ever won in a single Olympics at the time. Can you guess the U.S. state from its nickname?
Montana
For a seasoned traveler, few things are more reliable than finding that small Gideon Bible inside every hotel room’s bedside drawer. The practice is said to have originated in Montana when two traveling salesmen met in a hotel room and began distributing Bibles to hotels around the United States.
Nebraska
Hoping to encourage people to plant more trees in Nebraska, politician J. Sterling Morton proposed a holiday solely dedicated to that purpose. The state celebrated its first “Arbor Day” on April 10, 1872; residents planted an estimated 1 million trees that day. Find out the hidden gems in every state.
Nevada
Long before it became the entertainment capital of the nation, the state of Nevada was the first state to ratify the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving African-American men the right to vote.
New Hampshire
In 1719, a group of Scotch-Irish immigrants settled in the town of Nutfield, New Hampshire. There, they planted a field known as the Common Field, where they harvested the first potato ever grown in North America.
New Jersey
Princeton and Rutgers University faced off in the nation’s first intercollegiate football game, which took place in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1869. Twenty-five players from each college played in street clothes, while several hundred people watched from the sidelines. Rutgers won the game 6 to 4.
New Mexico
The first atomic bomb was detonated in the desert sands of south-central New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Known by the code name Trinity, its replica was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, a few weeks later. The area is now a National Historic Site.
New York
New York—not Washington, D.C.—is the site of the first presidential inauguration. George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, while standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. Check out these 11 surprising facts about George Washington you never learned in school.
North Carolina
The Wright Brothers tested and launched their first planes in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The rural area had soft, empty fields and steady winds, making it an ideal place for flying. To this day, North Carolina license plates claim that their state was “First In Flight.”
North Dakota
While traveling through North Dakota, the Lewis and Clark expedition made the first-ever recorded encounter with a grizzly bear. The bear weighed an estimated 600 pounds, and the men fired ten shots before killing it.
Ohio
The Cincinnati Red Stockings were established in 1869, becoming the first professional baseball team in the nation. Ohio also claims two other baseball fan favorites: America’s first chewing gum and the first hot dog. Find out the craziest world record from every state.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City issued the first “tornado warning” in the United States on March 25, 1948, hours before a tornado hit the Tinker Air Force base. Air Force Captain Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest J. Fawbush had correctly predicted that atmospheric conditions could cause a tornado and issued the warning, saving many lives.
Oregon
Eugene, Oregon was the first city in America to have one-way streets, which made it safer for bicyclists to share the roads with cars. In fact, “Bicycling Magazine” has named it one of the top ten cycling communities in the United States.
Pennsylvania
Contrary to popular belief, Washington, D.C. hasn’t always been the nation’s capital city. The first city to claim the title was actually Philadelphia where the First Continental Congress met in 1774. Seven other cities have held the title since then, until Washington, D.C. became the permanent U.S. capital in 1790. Learn more facts you never knew about our nation’s capital.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island appears to have a zero tolerance policy for speeding. This state created the nation’s first traffic law in 1678 when its officials banned galloping horses on streets in Newport. In 1904, the first speeding ticket was also issued in Newport. But that doesn’t beat the 50 dumbest laws in every state.
South Carolina
Soldiers fired the first shots of the Civil War at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in 1861. The military base continued to be occupied through World War II, and it now attracts over 750,000 visitors each year. Don’t miss more historic landmarks in every state.
South Dakota
The first modern hot air balloon system—which used propane instead of hydrogen gas—was invented by engineers at Raven Industries in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the late 1950s. On its maiden flight, the new balloon lasted 25 minutes and traveled three miles.
Tennessee
While living in Tennessee, a Cherokee silversmith named Sequoyah developed the first written language for his Native American people. In doing so, he also became the only known man in history to single-handedly create an alphabet.
Texas
Although several states claim to have hosted the first rodeo in America—including New Mexico and Colorado—it’s Texas that boasts the earliest. Pecos, Texas held the world’s first rodeo in 1883.
Utah
Believe it or not, the location of the first-ever KFC wasn’t in Kentucky, but rather in Salt Lake City, Utah. Colonel Sanders’s beloved fried chicken recipe was first served at a friend’s café in the area, and within weeks, customers were lining up around the block to get a taste.
Vermont
In 1777, as an independent republic, Vermont abolished slavery. It wasn’t until 1965 that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery across the nation—nearly 100 years after Vermont did.
Virginia
You might remember from high school U.S. history class that Virginia is home to the first permanent English settlement, Jamestown, which was established in 1607. The first American Thanksgiving was also held in Virginia in 1619. For this reason, Virginia is known as “the birthplace of the nation.”
Washington
These days, it seems like you can find a Starbucks store on every block. But when the multi-million dollar franchise launched in 1971, it owned just one storefront in Seattle. The company eventually expanded to Chicago and Canada in 1987, and today it boasts over 27,000 stores worldwide. Find out the best state fair or festival in each state.
West Virginia
Georgeann Wells, a basketball player at West Virginia University, became the first woman to dunk in a college basketball game in 1985. But because nobody recorded the feat, she did it again three games later. This time, it was caught on tape.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin isn’t only known for its world-class cheese and beer; it is also the “Toilet Paper Capital of the World.” Yes, you read that right. The first splinter-free toilet paper was invented by Northern Paper—which eventually became Quilted Northern—in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the 1930s.
Wyoming
Located mostly in Wyoming (although found in parts of Montana and Idaho, too), Yellowstone National Park is the first-ever national park in the United States and the world. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Find out more U.S. geography facts you didn’t learn in school.
Originally Published: August 21, 2019
