Did You Know? Jacksonville is the largest city in the 48 contiguous U.S. states (840 square miles). The first Technicolor film, “The Gulf Between,” was filmed in Jacksonville (1917). A judge attended a 1956 Elvis Presley performance here to ensure the singer’s moves weren’t too suggestive Theatre Jacksonville is America’s
Did You Know? There are an estimated 300 places to buy a book in the Iowa City area. Nearby Dyersville, Iowa, was a key film location for the movie, “Field of Dreams” (1989). Iowa City was America’s first city to be designated a UNESCO City of Literature. Iowa City boasts
Did You Know? The winner of the first Indy 500 in 1911 (Ray Harroun) drove the first car with a rearview mirror. Indianapolis was purpose built to be Indiana’s capital. Elvis Presley played his last concert in Indianapolis in 1977. At the top speeds, an Indy 500 driver misses 50
Did You Know? Huntsville has the largest collection of antebellum homes in Alabama. Actress Tallulah Bankhead was born in Huntsville in 1902. Huntsville was originally called Twickenham. The city’s Museum of Art houses America’s largest collection of art by American women. Alabama’s constitution was written in Huntsville, the same year
Did You Know? Houston was the first word spoken by astronauts on the moon (1969). Texas Medical Center is the world’s largest medical complex with 106,000 employees. Houston Grand Opera is the only opera company with Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards. Seven miles of climate-controlled tunnels link 95 downtown blocks
Did You Know ... ? The Iolani Palace is the only official residence of royalty in the U.S. First efforts to lure tourists began in 1892, interrupted by Hawaii’s bubonic plague in 1899-1900. Waikiki (spouting waters) was the playground of Hawaiian royalty in the 19th century. Pearl Harbor is the
Did You Know? The fictional James Bond preferred Sea Island cotton for his shirts. When Englishman William Hilton landed at the Island (1663), he found Spanish-speaking Indians (Florida transplants). Hilton Head was the scene of the largest naval battle fought in American waters (1861). Hilton Head Island first got electricity
Did You Know? West Hartford-born Noah Webster learned 26 languages doing research for his dictionaries. The first American-authored cookbook (“American Cookery” by Amelia Simmons) was published in Hartford (1796). America’s first accident insurance policy, sold in Hartford (1864), covered the buyer for a two-block walk. In 1836, Hartford native Samuel
Did You Know? To protect the town’s trees in the 1830s, Greenville fined citizens who even tied their horses to the trees. Civil rights advocate Jesse Jackson was born in Greenville in 1941. Of the 11 medals awarded to Revolutionary War veterans, three were for the 1781 Battle of Cowpens.
Did You Know ... ? Before the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant clerked in his father’s leather goods store in Galena, for $600 a year. More than 85% of Galena is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Galena’s DeSoto House Hotel is Illinois’ oldest operating hotel (1855). Nine
