Table of Contents
Oklahoma
Watermelon As A Vegetable
Although most people believe watermelon to be a fruit, Oklahoma has designated it as a vegetable. In fact, watermelon has been designated as Oklahoma's state vegetable.1)
Incarceration Rate
Oklahoma has the world's highest imprisonment rate.2)
State Flower
The Oklahoma Rose is the official flower of Oklahoma.3)
Name Origin
The name “Oklahoma” is derived from the Choctaw words “okla” (people) and “humma” (red).4)
Soda Bottle
The world's largest Coke bottle can be found in Arcadia, Oklahoma. The “bottle” is built of yellow steel hoops to which thousands of LED lenses that change colors and undulate are connected.5)
State Meal
Black-eyed peas, chicken-fried steak, okra, squash, corn on the cob, cornbread, barbecued pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, strawberries, and pecan pie are the official state foods of Oklahoma.6)
Piggly Wiggly Shopping Cart
The shopping cart was designed in 1937 by the proprietor of the Piggly Wiggly store in Oklahoma.7)
Bigfoot
Eastern Oklahoma has an annual Bigfoot Festival in response to purported Bigfoot sightings.8)
Hit By Space Junk
The only person known to have been struck by space trash is an Oklahoma woman. She was struck by debris from a United States Delta II missile but was unharmed.9)
Cow Chip Throwing Contest
Beaver, Oklahoma, sponsors the Official World Championship Cow Chip Throwing Contest every year. Locals advise newbies to kiss their fingers between throws for good luck and a stronger grip.10)
Plenty Of Man-Made Lakes
Oklahoma has the most man-made lakes in the country.11)
Sooner State
Oklahoma's moniker, “Sooner State,” is derived from pioneers who entered the state before it was lawful to do so.12)
First Tornado Warning
On March 25, 1948, Oklahoma issued the first Tornado Warning in the United States.13)
Cannabis Dispensaries
Oklahoma has the most cannabis dispensaries in the US, and it ranks second in terms of dispensaries per population.14)
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief (1925-2013), born in Oklahoma, is widely regarded as America's first prima ballerina.15)
39 Tribes
Oklahoma is home to 39 American Indian tribes, more than any other state, in part because Oklahoma was the final stop on the historic Trail of Tears for numerous Native American tribes. The state recognizes only five tribes as indigenous: the Osage, Caddo, Kiowa, Comanche, and Wichita.16)
Cavanal Hill
Oklahoma's Cavanal Hill is considered to be the tallest hill in the United States, at 1,999 feet above the surrounding terrain. A hill is considered to be a mountain at 2,000 feet.17)
Capitol
The Oklahoma State capital is the only capital building in the country with an oil well beneath it.18)
Great Depression
Oklahoma experienced severe droughts and high winds during the 1930s Great Depression. As a result, approximately 1 million Oklahomans, sometimes known as “Okies”, moved to California.19)
Native American Population
Oklahoma, behind California, has the second biggest Native American population in the United States.20)
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City houses the world's largest collection of American rodeo photos, barbed wire saddlery, and early rodeo prizes. It also houses approximately 28,000 items of Western and American Indian art and antiquities.21)
Shoreline
Oklahoma has 11,611 miles of shoreline, which is greater than the non-tidal coasts of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico combined.22)
Drinking Water
Approximately 60% of surface water is used for drinking water.23)
Cimarron County
Cimarron County is unique in that it borders four states: Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas.24)
Mountain Ranges
Oklahoma is home to four mountain ranges: the Ouachitas, the Arbuckles, the Wichitas, and the Ozarks.25)
Alabaster
Alabaster Caverns, in Freedom, has the world's biggest deposit of alabaster.26)
The Poteau River
The Poteau River is Oklahoma's sole river that flows north.27)
Dinosaur Fossils
Dinosaur fossils have been discovered in two locations: in Atoka and in the Panhandle.28)
Totem Pole
Foyil is home to the world's biggest concrete totem pole. It is 60 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter at its widest point.29)
Custer County
Custer County was named after Gen. George A. Custer, but the county seat is Arapaho.30)
Gypsum
Oklahoma produces the most gypsum of any state.31)
Iodine
Oklahoma is the sole producer of iodine.32)
Price Towers
The elevators at Bartlesville's Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Price Tower are half hexagons.33)
Vinita
Vinita was Oklahoma's first city to obtain electricity.34)
Governors
Except for three governors, all have been born in Oklahoma since Robert S. Kerr: Dewey Bartlett, David Boren, and Frank Keating.35)
Part of Louisiana Purchase
Oklahoma was included in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.36)
Sequoyah Convention
The Five Civilized Tribes attempted to gain statehood for Indian Territory under the name Sequoyah in 1905.37)
Ditch Witch
In 1949, Ed Malzahn invented a trencher to replace the shovel in the installation of subsurface services. His contraption was dubbed the Ditch Witch.38)
Edward Roberts
Edward Roberts, an electrical engineering graduate from Oklahoma State University in 1968, is credited with developing the personal computer, and he provided software mogul Bill Gates his first job in the sector.39)
Geronimo
Geronimo was laid to rest at Fort Sill. In 1909, he died of pneumonia.40)
Pensacola Battle
Pensacola, Oklahoma, was the scene of a Civil War engagement in 1862. The Confederates triumphed.41)
Musical Script
“Plen'y of room to swing a rope!” says the introductory part.42)
State Insect
The state insect is the honey bee.43)
State Motto
The state motto is “Labor Omnia Vincit” (Labor Conquers All).44)
State Colors
Green and white are the official state colors.45)