The only attack on a mainland American military site during World War II occurred on June 21, 1942, on the Oregon coastline. After trailing American fishing vessels to bypass minefields, a Japanese submarine made its way to the mouth of the Columbia River. It surfaced near Fort Stevens, an antiquated Army base that dated back to the Civil War, and fired 17 shells at the fort. Believing that the muzzle flashes of the fort's guns would only serve to more clearly reveal their position, the commander of Fort Stevens ordered his men not to return fire. The plan worked, and the bombardment was almost totally unsuccessful. A nearby baseball field bore the brunt of the damage.

In addition to being Oregon's highest mountain at 11,249 feet (3,429 m) and a potentially active stratovolcano, Mount Hood offers the only year-round lift-served skiing in North America.

The Oregon state flag is two-sided, with the escutcheon from the state seal on one side and the gold figure of a beaver on the other. It is the only U.S. State to feature different designs on either side of its flag.

Disgruntled by a lack of representation, a group of southern Oregonians and northern Californians started campaigning for statehood back in the 1940s, proclaiming their independence, and renaming the area the State of Jefferson. On November 27, 1941, Jeffersonians stopped highway traffic and announced their intention to "secede each Thursday until further notice." Though the southern Oregon secession movement has lost some steam in recent years, there are still folks who proudly display the State of Jefferson flag.

Portland has been called the "City of Roses" for over a century. The nickname is often attributed to Leo Samuel, who founded the Oregon Life Insurance Company in 1906. Samuel grew roses outside his home and hung a pair of shears outside, so people could snip a rose from his garden to take for themselves.

Named after David Douglas, a Scottish botanist who traveled through Oregon in the 1820s, the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is an evergreen conifer dominant throughout the region. Due to its "strength, stiffness and moderate weight," the species is an invaluable timber product.

In 1971 Oregon became the first state to ban the use of non-returnable bottles and cans. The law is credited with reducing litter and increasing container recycling.

After his mother died in 1884, future president Herbert Hoover was sent to Newberg, Oregon to live with his uncle John Minthorn, a Quaker physician and businessman whose own son had died the year before. Hoover dropped out of school at the age of thirteen to become an office assistant for his uncle's real estate office. The Hoover-Minthorn House, where he grew up, has been turned into a museum and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Barbara Roberts served as the 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She was also the first woman to serve as majority leader in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Pear orchards flourish in Oregon's river valley growing regions, producing about 800 million pears per year.