The 50 States
Let's Party
Potpourri
Famous Firsts
When Pigs Fly
100
It became the 49th state on January 3, 1959.
What is Alaska? On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state. An easy way to remember which state came first is to remember that they became states in alphabetical order.
100
This island city just off the mainland in South Florida is known for its beaches, spring breaks, and its Art Deco District.
What is Miami Beach? It’s located on a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway
100
IHOP stands for this restaurant.
What is International House of Pancakes? Some say the first IHOP was intentionally located near a Big Boy restaurant to accommodate Big Boy’s overflow.
100
He made the first phone call on March 10, 1876.
Who is Alexander Graham Bell? He said to his assistant in the next room, “Mr. Watson, come here.”
100
Fairy tale about pigs.
What is “The Three Little Pigs”? The tale is a combination of stories that first appeared in print in the 1840 book The Nursery Rhymes of England
200
This state is known as “America’s Dairyland.”
What is Wisconsin? The only U.S. Master Cheesemaker program is in Wisconsin. It takes more than 13 years in the program to become a master cheesemaker.
200
This U.S. city hosts the largest party in the country in the lead-up to Lent.
What is New Orleans? The biggest party day of the year in New Orleans is on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Similar festivities take place in many parts of the world, and in some places, they are called Carnivale.
200
Ill-fitting shoes can cause this painful bump.
What is bunion? The most common bunion is a noticeable bump at the joint where the big toe connects to the foot.
200
The first skyscraper was built in this city.
What is Chicago? In 1884, the Home Insurance Building was erected. It stood 10 stories tall and was later expanded to 12 stories before being demolished in 1931.
200
Extremely low chance of likelihood: when pigs do this
What is fly? If you were to say, “I’m going to win the Mega Millions lottery,” the reply might be, “Yeah, when pigs fly!”
300
Northwestern University is in this state.
What is Illinois? Northwestern was founded in 1851 to serve the former Northwest Territory.
300
The largest parade in the world for this celebration takes place on March 17 in New York City.
What is St. Patrick’s Day? The parade now has around 250,000 participants and around two million spectators. Dublin has the third-largest parade.
300
This state has been described as the “Mitten State” because of its shape.
What is Michigan? The Lower Peninsula looks like a mitten. In 1901, Cyclopedia was the first to refer to Michigan as the “Mitten State.”
300
The first woman in space was from this country.
What is the U.S.S.R./Russia? The cosmonaut (as Russian-trained astronauts are called) was Valentina Tereshkova, and she blasted off on June 16, 1963. She spent three days in space and orbited Earth 48 times.
300
A pig’s nose
What is a snout? Pigs have an excellent sense of smell that helps them find food in the ground
400
Field of Dreams is set in this state.
What is Iowa? The field is open to the public, and you can walk on the baseball diamond. A few years ago, an MLB baseball complex was added, which hosts various events.
400
Munich is known for this festival, which runs from late September through early October.
What is Oktoberfest? It’s the largest folk festival in the world, featuring parades and celebrations of German culture, food, and drink.
400
During World War II, this was the three-letter precursor to the CIA.
What is OSS? It stands for Office of Strategic Services, the first U.S. independent intelligence agency. It lasted only three years before evolving into the CIA. There was a fierce rivalry between the FBI and the OSS, which ended when the FBI ousted the OSS from South America and claimed the continent under its jurisdiction
400
These first two government-sponsored health insurance programs were signed into law on the same day as an amendment to the Social Security Act.
What are Medicare and Medicaid? They were signed into law on July 30, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson.
400
A wild pig
What is a boar? In the United States, it is estimated that boars cause around $2.5 billion in agricultural destruction annually.
500
Hell’s Canyon and Snake River primarily run through two states: Idaho and this.
What is Oregon? Both Hell’s Canyon and Snake River defy their names and are scenic tourist attractions.
500
Every July 7–14, Pamplona hosts this celebration that features groups of people running through its streets.
What is the Running of the Bulls? The festival, which resembles New Orleans’ Mardi Gras, is called the Festival of San Fermín.
500
Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a compound that, when crushed, releases this poisonous substance.
What is cyanide? Swallowing a few apple seeds isn’t a problem; in order to cause damage, the average human would have to chew about 150 seeds.
500
The first heart transplant was performed by this doctor.
Who is Dr. Christiaan Barnard? It was performed in Cape Town, South Africa, on December 3, 1967. The patient survived for only 18 days, but this surgery laid the groundwork for future successful transplants.
500
Popular breed of pet pigs.
What is pot-bellied? They are intelligent and demanding. Did you know the FAA used to allow them in the cabin as service animals? (Gives a whole new meaning to “When pigs fly!”) A 300-pound “support” hog went wild on a US Airways flight in 2000. Pigs, peacocks, or other exotic animals are no longer allowed in the passenger cabin. Service dogs are the only service animals allowed in the cabin free of charge.