For those of you who live in Kentucky you might find this interesting. And for those of you who don’t, YOU might also find this interesting. And for those of you have never been there, now you have a reason to visit!
1. 1792 – Kentucky was the first state on the western frontier to join the Union.
2. 1816 – (First promoted) Mammoth Cave , with 336+ miles of mapped passages, is the world’s longest cave. It is 379 feet deep and contains at least five levels of passages. It’s second only to Niagara Falls as the most popular tourist attraction in the US . It became a National Park on July 1, 1941. Here is a cool slideshow of thing in and around the caves.
3. 1856 – The first enamel bathtub was made in Louisville
4. 1883 – The first electric light bulb was shown in Louisville. Thomas Alva Edison introduced his invention to crowds at the Southern Exposition at the Kentucky Fairgrounds.
5. 1887 – Mother’s Day was first observed in Henderson by teacher Mary S. Wilson. It became a national holiday in 1916.
6. 1893 – “Happy Birthday to You”, probably the most sung song in the world, was written by two Louisville sisters – Mildred and Patricia Hill.
7. Late 19th century – Bibb lettuce was first cultivated by Jack Bibb in Frankfort, Kentucky
8. 1896 – The first (known) set of all male quintuplets was born in Paducah.
9. 1934 – Cheeseburgers were first tasted at Kaelin’s restaurant in Louisville.
10. 1937 – The first Wigwam Village Motel, with units in the shape of a “teepee”, was built by Frank A. Redford in Cave City. It’s one of about four left in the entire country and you can still stay there.
11. The world’s largest baseball bat, a full one hundred twenty (120) feet tall and weighing 68,000 pounds, can be seen at the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville (Jefferson Co.). There is a scaled matching glove made out of solid granite in the museum too.
12. Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured only in Bowling Green (always have been.)
13. Covington (St. Mary’s Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption) is home to the world’s largest hand blown stained glass window in existence. It measures an astounding 24 feet by 67 feet and contains 117 different figures.
14. The world’s largest crucifix, standing at sixty (60) feet tall, is in Bardstown (Nelson County).
15. Fort Knox holds more than $6 billion worth of gold – the largest amount stored anywhere in the world.
16. The JIF plant in Lexington is the world’s largest peanut butter producing facility.
17. Kentucky has more resort parks than any other state in the nation.
18. Middlesboro is the only United States city built inside a meteor crater.
19. Newport is home to The World Peace Bell, the world’s largest free-swinging bell.
20. Pike County is the world’s largest producer of coal.
21. Pikeville annually leads the nation (per capita) in consumption of Pepsi-Cola.
22. Post-It Notes are made exclusively in Cynthiana, Kentucky.
23. Shaker Village (Pleasant Hill) is the largest historic community of its kind in the United States.
24. Christian County is ‘wet’, while Bourbon County is ‘dry’.
25. Barren County has the most fertile land in the state.
26. Lake Cumberland has more miles of shoreline than the state of Florida.
27. Kentucky is best known for its beautiful blue grass.
28. And, let us not forget about the basketball and the Race Horses !!!
