Posted in Nebraska July 06, 2015 by

20 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The State Of Nebraska

You may know that you love living in Nebraska, but do you know everything there is to know about the state? These bits of Nebraska trivia might be old news to you, or maybe you’ll find a gem or two you didn’t already know…

1. The Sand Hills Are the Largest Grass-Covered Sand Dunes in the Western Hemisphere.
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2. Nebraska Was Bombed Twice by Friendly Fire in WWII.
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The little town of Tarnov was bombed on August 19, 1943 - but no one was injured. The bombs were practice bombs probably dropped by B-17s from the Sioux City Army Air Field. The pilots had mistaken the town's lights for the lights that adorned a nearby bombing range. A similar story unfolded in nearby Dickens around the same time, with ten practice bombs landing in and around the little town.
3. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in Omaha is the Largest Pedestrian Bridge Connecting Two States.
flickr/Nelo Hotsuma
4. The Town of Cozad Sits Exactly at the 100th Meridian.
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5. Charles Lindbergh Learned to Fly at Nebraska Standard Aircraft Corp in Lincoln.
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6. The Largest Publicly Held Quilt Collection is Kept in the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln.
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7. One of the World's Largest Mammoth Fossils Ever Found Was Unearthed in Lincoln County and Displayed at UNL's Morrill Hall.
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8. Panorama Point in Southwestern Kimball County is Nebraska's Highest Point at 5,424 Feet.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
9. Nebraska Has More Miles of River Than Any Other State.
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10. Evelyn Sharp of Ord Earned Her Commercial Pilot's License at the Age of 18 in 1937, Making Her the Youngest Person to Do So in the U.S.
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(Sharp is pictured on the right.)
11. Kearney is the Exact Midpoint Between San Francisco and Boston.
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12. The Lowest Temperature Ever Recorded in Nebraska was 47 Degrees Below Zero (1989 in Oshkosh).
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13. Nebraska National Forest is the Largest Human-Planted Forest in the Country.
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14. There are 48 Steps Leading up to the Capitol Building, Representing the Number of US States When the Capitol Was Built.
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15. Bellevue University Was the First College to Offer a College Credit Course on Rush Limbaugh.
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16. Nebraska is the Only State to Have Been Admitted by Overriding a Presidential Veto.
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17. Nebraskan Susan La Flesche Picotte Was the First Female Native American Doctor.
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18. The State Sees an Average of 39 Tornadoes Each Year.
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19. In 1986, Nebraska Became the First State in Which Two Women - Kay Orr and Helen Boosalis - Ran Against Each Other For the Office of Governor; Kay Orr Went on to Become Nebraska's First Female Governor.
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20. The First Arthur County Courthouse and Jail, in Arthur, is Said to Be America's Smallest Courthouse at 26 X 28 Feet.
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The building (with no plumbing) is now the Arthur County Museum.

How many of these Nebraska facts did you already know? Do you have any more Nebraska trivia? Share in the comments below!

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