Nebraska is the only state in the US that’s triply landlocked. This means it is at least 3 states away from the ocean in every possible direction.
The official state motto of Nebraska is ‘Equality before the law’.
Nebraska’s state fossil is the mammoth. Mammoths lived in the state from 2 million to 10,000 years ago.
The University of Nebraska State Museum is home to “Archie”, the largest Mammoth skeleton on exhibit in the world. It was discovered in 1922 on a farm in Lincoln Country.
Nebraska is the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich. Chef Bernard Schimmel invented this delicious sandwich for his customer, Reuben Kulakofsky at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha. The Rueben sandwich is a combination of rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing.
The delicious chocolate “meltaways” have been produced by the Baker family for over three generations. Baker’s Candies originate in Greenwood, Nebraska.
The people of Nebraska are called Nebraskans, they have also been nicknamed the “Cornhuskers” because the state has more acres of corn crops than any other.
Nebraska’s official state drink is milk, while Kool-Aid is the official state soft drink.
The state’s name comes from the Otoe words “Ni Brasge“, meaning “flat water”. The name was inspired by the Platte River, which runs through Nebraska.
Edward Perkins invented Kool-Aid in Hastings, Nebraska. Edwin’s goal was to create a drink concentrated in powder form that’s juice-flavoured to reduce shipping costs.
The state nickname used to be the “Tree Planter’s State”, but was changed in 1945 to the “Cornhusker State”.
Nebraska is the only state in the union with a unicameral, one-house, legislature.
Nebraska has more underground water reserves than any other state in the continental United States of America.
The world’s first ski lift was invented in Nebraska.
The largest porch swing in the world is located in Hebron, Nebraska and it can sit 25 adults.
The official song of the state of Nebraska is called ‘Beautiful Nebraska’.
The total area of Nebraska is 77,358 mi², making it the 16th largest state. Nebraska is almost the same size as Kyrgyzstan.
The goldenrod was declared the state flower on April 4, 1895.
Nebraska lies in the heart of Tornado Alley and experiences severe weather such as tornadoes every spring and summer, and even sometimes in fall.
The world’s largest hand-planted forest is Halsey National Forrest near Thedford, Nebraska.
Eastern Cottonwood is the official state tree of Nebraska.
The states that border Nebraska are South Dakota to the north, Iowa to the east, Missouri to the southeast, Kansas to the south, Colorado to the southwest, and Wyoming to the west.
President Gerald Ford was born in Omaha.
Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska is the largest railroad classification yard in the world. Named in honour of former Union Pacific President Edd H. Bailey, the massive yard covers 2,850 acres.
Nebraska’s State Gem is the Blue Agate.
Farms and ranches take up 92 per cent of Nebraska’s total land area, and the state is one of the top five in the nation in agricultural output.
The Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha is the world’s largest indoor forest, It covers eight stories and 1.5 acres.
Spam, canned meat, is produced in Fremont.
Nebraska is sometimes called the Tree Planter’s State. This is because Arbor Day, a day when trees are planted throughout the country, started here in 1872.
The first company to sell frozen TV dinners on a nationwide scale was Omaha-based Swanson.
In Nebraska in 1986 for the first time, ever two women ran against each other for the governorship of a state.
Nebraska State Bird is called the Western Meadowlark-Sturnella neglecta.
Nebraska became a part of the US in 1803.
The Nebraska Sandhills is another national monument. They stretch for an impressive 49,987 km2, around twice the size of Vermont.
NE is the abbreviation for Nebraska.
Famous people from Nebraska include activist Malcolm X, actor Marlon Brando, former president Gerald Ford, philanthropist and businessman Warren Buffet, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, actress Hilary Swank, politician Dick Cheney, and astronaut Clayton Anderson.
Nebraska has badlands and sandhills in the west, Great Plains in the centre, and low hills in the east.
Around 90% of towns in Nebraska have a population of 3000 or less.
Today, only 0.8% of the state’s population is indigenous, however, The Pawnee, Ponca, Sauk, Cheyenne, Omaha, Dakota Sioux, and Lakota indigenous tribes traditionally lived in the area.
Nebraska is the only state that has a single-house legislature.
Nebraska has the United States of America’s largest aquifer, the Ogalala aquifer.
Charles Lindbergh took his first flying lessons at the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation flying school in Lincoln in 1922.
The 911 system of emergency communication that is now used across the United States was first developed and used in Lincoln, Nebraska
Red Cloud is an otherwise run-of-the-mill small town in Nebraska. However, it’s become a living memorial in Cather’s honour which draws thousands of visitors every year
The Nebraska state animal, the white-tailed deer, is a symbol of this great Midwestern state. The choice was made official in 1981.
The current Nebraska state flag has been official since 1963, though the design dates back to 1925. It shows the state seal in gold on a blue background.
The Museum of Shadows is home to 3000 objects that have been certified as haunted. That number marks the most extensive collection of haunted artefacts in the world.
In 1975, the state declared the honeybee the official state insect. Since most of Nebraska’s land is dedicated to farming, bees help ensure crops continue to grow
The Nebraska State Fair is held annually in Grand Island, Nebraska. It is one of the largest state fairs in the country, with over 300,000 people attending each year.
Nebraska’s beef industry is the second largest in the United States, only behind texas.
