9 Insane Things That Happened In Maine You Won’t Find in History Books

Maine is one of the most gorgeous states in New England, but it might just be the strangest as well. This is, after all, the home of a museum dedicated to a soda, a man who lived in alone in the woods for 27 years and a roadside Native American so large that his name includes an expletive! While these things are wonderfully bizarre they're not nearly as wacky as some of the truly insane things that have happened here. Read on for a few of them!

1. In 2012, a 27-pound lobster was caught in Maine.

The 40-inch lobster was found after being trapped in a shrimp net. Nicknamed "Rocky," it was the largest crustacean ever to be caught in Maine. It was reported that the majority of the weight was found in the claws. If caught by this porker, you'd likely have your arm broken! "Rocky" was released back into the ocean and never found his way into a roll. Lucky for him!

2. An entire Maine island is actually known as, "Hawaii 2."

In 2014, the founders of Cards Against Humanity purchased Birch Island in St. George Lake for around $200,000. They renamed the island "Hawaii 2" and used it in a holiday fundraising program giving 1 square foot of the island to a lucky winner who donated to the cause.

3. The North American Wife Carrying Championship takes place every year in Maine.

Teams made up of men and women must make their way through a regulation obstacle course. The wife can be carried any way the team prefers, but many teams use the tried-and-true "Estonian carry" which features the wife holding the husband by the waist, with her legs wrapped around his neck. This allows him to keep his hands free.

4. Mainers were the last people in America to use the hand-crank phone.

The residents of Bryant Pond said goodbye to the famous phone in 2008, honoring it by unveiling a 14-foot-tall candlestick phone, thought to be the tallest in the world. Okay, this one might have made its way into history books!

5. The world's largest snowman was built in Maine!

Created in Bethel in 2008, the huge snowman – who was actually a snow-woman – was lovingly named "Olympia Snowe" after Maine's senior senator at the time. She had wreaths for eyes, eyelashes made of 16 skis, pine trees as arms and big tires as buttons and lips.

6. In 1969, the plane involved in the longest hijack ever stopped to refuel in Maine.

The plane was heading from Los Angeles to San Francisco before the hijacker took it on a trip to Italy to visit his dying father. Along the 6,900-mile journey, he stopped for fuel in Denver, New York, Maine and Ireland. Strange, but true.

7. The book "Fifty Shades of Grey, saved an entire Maine paper mill.

In 2013, the Great Northern Paper Company was saved from closure when it signed a contract with Vintage Books to produce 3,000 tons of paper needed for the book.

8. Maine was home to a Mustache Film Festival.

Perhaps as an homage to our male residents' appreciation for facial hair, Portland played host to this international film festival. Awards were given in categories such as Best 'Stache Growth Story and Best 'Stache Shaving Story. Entries came in from three continents. Unfortunately, this was a one-time event. The good news it that you can still appreciate your own mustache or that of someone you love by creating your own award without even having to make a movie!

9. The voice of the NYC subway comes from deep within Maine.

Carolyn Hopkins also provides the voice for over 200 airports. The recordings are done in her home and she was once the subject of an entire segment of morning television show, "Sunday Morning" on CBS. Click here to watch the piece.

For another of Maine's wonderful oddities, check out this museum dedicated to the research of mythical creatures!