Arizona has 13 species of rattlesnakes, more than any other state.

Although its shoreline with Lake Michigan is only 45 miles long, Indiana is still considered a Great Lakes State.

Maryland was unique in its reaction to prohibition. It was the only state to never pass a state enforcement act, proudly labeling itself as a wet state and permitting the use and sale of alcohol even though it was illegal in the rest of the country.

In possibly the most embarrassing moment in the history of Olympics host city competition, Colorado voters rejected hosting the 1976 Winter Olympics after Denver had been awarded the games. Concerns cited were the financial and environmental impact.

Historian Stephen Arndt has identified a total of 256 Oregon ghost towns, more than any other state in the country. Many of the ghost towns in Oregon were once mining or lumber camps that were abandoned after their respective industries collapsed.

Brigham Young was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877. Sometimes called the "American Moses", he founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory.

In 1918, a scientific survey established the geographic center of the 48 contiguous U.S. states about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) northwest of Lebanon, Kansas. A monument was subsequently erected at the site.

The Los Alamos Laboratory, also known as Project Y, was a secret research facility established by the Manhattan Project during World War II. Its mission was to design and build the first atomic bombs. The United States Department of War exercised eminent domain over the area so that the relatively isolated location could be used for the secretive project. Not until after the bombing of Hiroshima was information about the purpose of the Manhattan Project released to the public.

Rising nearly 300 feet (91 m) above the surrounding North Platte River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,228 feet (1,289 m) above sea level. The Nebraska state quarter features a covered wagon headed west past Chimney Rock, commemorating Nebraska's role in westward migration.

In 1796, Colonel John Stuart sent soon-to-be vice president Thomas Jefferson some fossils his soldiers had discovered in a cave in Greenbrier County, Virginia (present-day West Virginia). Jefferson mistook the bones for a very large lion, which he called "Great Claw" or "Megalonyx". Believing the animal might still be in existence, he told Lewis and Clark to keep an eye out during their journey westward. Scientists would later credit Jefferson with discovering the giant sloth, and even named the species after him: Megalonyx jeffersonii.