Prior to 2010, 'idiots' were prohibited from voting in New Mexico.1)
The early native people of New Mexico woven airtight baskets that could contain water. Archaeologists refer to these individuals as the Basketmakers as a result.2)
In terms of area and height, New Mexico is the fifth-largest state in the United States.3)
According to experts, the first people to live in New Mexico did so more than 12,000 years ago after crossing a land bridge during the last Ice Age that connected Russia to North America.4)
The Apache, Navajo, and Pueblos are three significant Native American tribes that made their homes in the New Mexico region.5)
The Spaniards occupied the region that would eventually become New Mexico. The region was included into Mexico in 1821, the year when Mexico proclaimed its independence from Spain. It became a US territory during the Mexican-American War of 1848, and eventually, in 1912, it became the 47th state.6)
The Spanish conquistadors gave the area the name “Nueva” or “New” Mexico in the hopes that it would be as prosperous as Mexico, where they had first discovered it.7)
One of the four states whose corners all touch is New Mexico. Colorado, Utah, and Arizona make up the other three.8)
Because of its stunning and diverse landscape, which includes everything from mountains and forests to lakes, rivers, and deserts, New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment”.9)
New Mexico is home to the black-footed ferret, which is most likely the rarest animal on the whole continent.10)
New Mexico is the country's primary source of potash, a vital component of fertilizer.11)
Natural gas production accounts for about half of New Mexico's natural resource income.12)
Taos Pueblo in north-central New Mexico has been inhabited by Pueblo people for more than 1000 years.13)
All three of Jeff Bezos, Georgia O'Keefe, and John Denver were born in New Mexico.14)
Because there is so little remaining New Mexican turquoise due to extensive mining, certain pieces can fetch thousands of dollars.15)
In the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, US scientists developed the first hydrogen bomb in addition to the first nuclear weapon.16)
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico hosts more than 500 hot-air balloons each year, making it the biggest ballooning festival in the world because to a special mix of ideal temperatures and regular wind patterns.17)
The enormous Puebloan constructions of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, were the biggest buildings in North America up until the 19th century.18)
In the well-known Disney movie Newsies, Christian Bale portrays the lead role of Jack Kelley, who has a lifelong desire to leave the poverty of New York City by relocating to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and becoming a cowboy.19)
The town of Roswell, New Mexico, has capitalized on the local UFO mythology by building a UFO museum, decorating its streetlights with aliens, building a McDonald's with a flying saucer, and setting up a phony family of lost aliens by the side of the road.20)
The Roswell Army Aviation Field first claimed that wreckage discovered outside Roswell, New Mexico, in the summer of 1947 was proof of a flying disc. Conspiracy theories regarding an extraterrestrial crash site at Roswell were only strengthened by later government denials that the wreckage was of alien origin.21)
While being typically associated with arid regions, New Mexico's state bird, the Roadrunner, may actually be found as far east as the Mississippi River.22)
The eighth biggest underground chamber in the world, the Carlsbad Cavern in southeast New Mexico is 4,000 feet long and 255 feet high. The cavern is a piece of a vast cave system that has been designated a World Heritage Site.23)
One of the greatest petroglyph sites in the Southwest is located in New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert, which has approximately 21,000 petroglyphs etched by unidentified prehistoric peoples.24)
'Red or green?' is the state anthem of New Mexico. —a nod to the hues of the numerous chili peppers that the state is known for.25)
The “chili” in “chili peppers” is spelled “chile” by New Mexicans, who use a “e” rather than a I at the end.26)
One of the biggest and most symmetrical cinder cones in North America, Capulin Volcano in northern New Mexico has a rim that is 8,182 feet above sea level.27)
The yucca plant's blossom is the official flower of New Mexico.28)
The White Sands National Monument is home to the world's biggest gypsum desert.29)
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which is a component of the US highway system, is the sixth tallest bridge at an astounding 650 feet in the air. Since it was built in the 1960s, the bridge has served as a picturesque location. 30)