5 Times The Entire Country Was Looking At New Hampshire In Suspense and Awe

Despite its small size, New Hampshire is an influential state. Although attention from the rest of the nation doesn’t come too often, there have been times throughout history when the nation watched New Hampshire with bated breath, waiting to see what the Granite State would do. Here are 5 times the entire country was looking at New Hampshire:

NASA Johnson/flickr

In 1986, New Hampshire, along with the rest of the nation, was thrilled to see Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from Concord, become the first civilian to launch into space. However, the thrill soon turned to heartbreak when the challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing McAuliffe and the rest of the astronauts on board. Condolences from around the country flooded into New Hampshire in the wake of this tragedy.

Kim Davies/flickr

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify the constitution of the U.S. At the time, only 9 of the 13 states needed to ratify the constitution in order for it to become law of the land, so with New Hampshire’s vote one of the greatest governing documents in history came to life.

Kayaktherockies/flickr

For decades the Old Man of the Mountain stood as a symbol of New Hampshire’s natural beauty. The cliffs were formed millions of years ago, and early settlers to New Hampshire identified the profile shape of the "old man." However, when the cliffs fell on May 3, 2003, the event made national news and the whole country took a moment to mourn the old man’s passing.

Wsquared photography/flickr

In July 1944, delegates from 44 countries came to the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods for the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference. During this meeting, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund were established. These organizations still have an effect on projects around the world today.

J. Stephen Conn/flickr

New Hampshire’s diverse population and demographics make it a good testing ground for presidential candidates. During presidential election years, New Hampshire’s residents vote in the first primary in early February, and the results often have a big effect on which candidates continue in the race. Hence the saying, "As goes New Hampshire so goes the nation."

Hopefully next time that all eyes are on New Hampshire, it will be for a good reason!