Note that Birmingham is also the state’s largest city. Jesse Owens is an Olympic gold medalist who was born in Oakville, Alabama. Here are 40 Interesting Alabama facts. 4. Her first pregnancy was diagnosed by Dr. Lewis Whaley of Blount County, Ala., during a sideshow stop. There might be a few you’ve heard of before but I bet many of these will be new to most of you! [27], 11. As of 1 January 2017, the population of Alabama was estimated to be 4,872,725 people. He is buried in Las Cruces, N.M. Brundidge, Ala., celebrates its role in the peanut butter industry with a Peanut Butter Festival each October. The event pays homage to the agricultural heritage of Wiregrass area using whimsical sculptures around the town. Photoprint by Golder & Robinson, N.Y. Copyrighted by John G. Bethune/Library of Congress. He was inducted into the Alabama Animal Hall of Fame and died in 2010. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.281 km). Alabama Fun Facts. “Until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a might steam.” – These are his words that are inscribed on Montogomery’s Civil Rights Memorial. The abbreviation for Alabama is AL. Weird facts alabama. She is called “the mother of the civil rights movement“. In 2010, the World's Largest Pot of Baked Beans, certified by Guinness World Records, was cooked at the Alabama... 2. 49 Interesting Facts About Alabama Facts about Alabama. The shower was so intense that many people thought that the world is coming to an end. Anniston, Alabama is home to the World's Largest Office Chair, which is … Two Alabamians are buried in their feather beds. The city is actually hailed as the World’s Peanut Capital. Do you know these other five facts about the Alabama’s state capital? The satellite orbited Earth every 114.8 minutes, making 12.54 orbits each day. A man with a moustache may never kiss a woman in public. The day it rained eels in Coalburg, Ala. 3. There are incredible sights for history buffs, fishers, and strollers such as pelicans and freighters floating on waters. (Source: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain). Michael McDowell, a horror novelist born in Enterprise, wrote the script for the 1988 Tim Burton film. The actor who played Kurt in “The Sound of Music” lived in Alabama. Condoleezza Rice, the first African-American women to serve as U.S. secretary of state was born in Birmingham. Sloths once roamed Alabama. Elodie Dawson, half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln, died in Selma in 1881. A historic marker on Dexter Avenue gives the text of the telegram that authorizes the attack on Fort Sumter, while hoping to "avoid the effusion of blood. Historians believe his first wife was buried in Oakwood Slave Cemetery in Huntsville. 41. Duane Chase, the kid who hit the high note in “So Long, Farewell,” in the 1965 classic film starring Julie Andrews, left acting after the film. Thanks to Lonnie Johnson of Mobile, modern kids can go mobile with their water weapons and carry plenty of "H2-ammo." Downtown Abbeville/Kelly Kazek/kkazek@al.com. [34], 19. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Weird Alabama Laws. Unclaimed Baggage Center, Scottsboro: this is where the lost checked bags can be found. Fresh water from the streams flows directly into the ocean hence mixing with salty water. Click here to read more. Photos of Bob Clark at different stages of his career via AChristmasStoryHouse.com. Jones brought the art after noticing the absence of fine art by African-American artists in the galleries, museums, and auctions. Alabama (nicknamed: the “Yellowhammer State”, the “Cotton State”, the “Heart of Dixie”) has 67 counties. Montgomery native Nat King Cole was first the black man to host TV variety show. The law is named for a Mobile puppy who was set on fire in 1994 but survived to become the face of the movement. The World's Smallest Museum is located in Tuscaloosa. Montgomery, Alabama’s capital, has a long and interesting history, beginning with the Creek Indian tribes and extending all the way through the American Civil Rights Movement. 4. To help students learn about classic authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Tommy Flowers of University Place Middle School in Tuscaloosa created the World's Smallest Museum dedicated to Poe and his works in a classroom closet. 42. Alabama Trivia Questions & Answers : States A-D This category is for questions and answers related to Alabama, as asked by users of FunTrivia.com.. He was the son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave. Alabama’s roads used to be made from wood. Did you know that in 1836 Alabama was the first U.S. state to declare Christmas a holiday and Oklahoma in 1907 was the last to do so? Home of Martyrs: the Montgomery Civil Rights Landmarks make a memorial center for leaders who died during the 1954-68 civil rights war. 38. Josephine Myrtle Corbin (1868-1928) was born in Lincoln County, Tenn., a dipygus, meaning she had an additional pair of smaller legs from an undeveloped twin. Abbeville, Ala., is the first city in the nation alphabetically, both by city and state, in the Rand McNally Road Atlas. Click here to read more. 5. There is only one town named Verbena, and it's in Alabama. He worked as a blacksmith’s assistant for the Southern Railway in Sheffield. Fact 1 Alabama is commonly referred to as the “Heart of Dixie”, although it is not the nickname on official records. Johnson, who attended Tuskegee University, accidentally developed The Super Soaker while testing another invention. Elodie Todd Dawson's widower made sure she had eternal curls. Built in 1840 as the Halliday-Cary-Pick home at 360 North College Street and now used as offices for Auburn University, the structure features a mahogany spiral staircase built during the home's construction by an itinerant French carpenter. [13], 7. A blend of Queen Anne and Neoclassical styles, it was built on Arlington Avenue in 1906 by architect William E. Benns for H.W. Flag of Alabama. These include misplaced and mishandled cargos. 2.. An Alabama native designed the wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier when she married future president John F. 3.. It is one of only six craters in the world that is visible above ground, according to the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. From stars falling in the sky to mailmen paddling their way through water routes, there are many Alabama interesting facts to give the family a laugh when road trip planning. It has one participant, a person chosen to be grand marshal and the entire parade. [20], 27. He had recently won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, which helped him draw attention to the difficulties faced by black voters, and the need for a national Voting Rights Act. [33], 35. Here Are 12 Things They Don’t Teach You About Alabama In School 1. bars The memorial was designed by Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer Maya Lin. Because of this, Montgomery is known as the “Cradle of the Confederacy.” The Confederate flag was designed and first flown in Alabama in 1861. Wiggins, born in Georgia, lived with Gen. William Pinckney Howard and his wife Rebecca in Athens, Ala., who sponsored him at the height of his career. Albert, an Atmore native nicknamed "Toad" by a family friend as a child, became Alabama's first female football player - and some claim first in the country – when she joined the Escambia County High School team in 1939. Speaking of space in 2013 tuscumbia alabama was the site of a war of the worlds like hoax when a local radio station pretended it had been taken over by aliens. People in this area demonstrate their love for peanut through a nutty artistic project that revolves around little goobers. Bear wrestling matches are prohibited. It is part of owner Jimmy Rane’s movie memorabilia collection. Sanders soon moved to Jasper to work as a stoker for the railway and met his first wife there. Here are 58 interesting Alabama facts that would surprise you! Billy Mitchell is buried in a crypt in Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn. On November 21, 1818, the site of Cahaba (also known as Cahawba) was chosen. Maude McLure Kelly (1887-1973) was the first female lawyer in Alabama. the document has more than 376,000 words. Huntsville, Alabama, which is the home of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, is called the Rocket Capital of the World. 1. In 1849, the first plank road in the country was built by Daniel Pratt for the public and for transportation from his Pratt Cotton Gin to the Alabama River. 50 surprising facts about Alabama and its people 1.. Johnson, who attended Tuskegee University, accidentally developed The Super Soaker while testing another invention. 3 The “Weird Al” nickname started while he was studying architecture at Cal Poly. The Bible also includes a hand-written note verifying it was the Bible used for Davis' swearing in as president of the Confederate States on Feb. 18, 1861, in Montgomery. Did you know that Mobile, Alabama is the birthplace of America’s original Mardi Gras? The state was named after the Alabama River. On 15 April 1886, Montgomery, Alabama became the first U.S. city to initiate an electric streetcar system for transportation, The Capital City Street Railway, also known as the Lightning Route. Tom Wiggins (1849-1908), known as Blind Tom, was a slave and a gifted musician who historians now believe was an autistic savant. Sweet, Bessemer's first undertaker. Hailed as the father of blues, William Christopher Handy composed such lovely songs as “Beale Street Blues” and “St. After Alabama was admitted into statehood a site for a state capital had to be chosen. The telegram that began the Civil War was sent from Montgomery by Huntsville native and Confederate Secretary of War Leroy Pope Walker on April 11, 1861. The memorial also has a timeline of key events and the names of the 40 victims etched in black granite. [23], 31. Chappo Geronimo (1867-1894), son of the legendary Apache warrior Geronimo, is buried in Mobile National Cemetery. Getty. The state’s name comes from the Alabama tribe, one of the Native American groups from that area. It weighs an incredible 120,000 pounds (45,359 kg), which is the equivalent of 10 elephants! Alaska has a well-earned reputation for massive vegetables, thanks to summers boasting 20 hours of sunshine a day. Interesting Facts About Alabama interesting facts (Interesting Fact) During the days in which exploration of the states was prominent, the lechuguila species created a deadly obstacle for those who were exploring the southwest by ways of horses, because when riding, the leaves which were very sharp would puncture the horses' legs. He toured the world and played for royalty. In Scottsboro, Alabama, the Unclaimed Baggage Center attracts 800,000 shoppers annually to rifle through people's lost stuff and purchase unclaimed items. The Vulcan statue, the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, is the largest cast iron statue in the world. Vermont has the shortest constitution (8,565 words) among the 50 states. Depending on the season, you can catch various species including Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, sheepshead, flounder, cobia, red drum, etc. Gerson (1914-1999) also voiced the narrator in 1950's "Cinderella.". (A camel in 1915 via Library of Congress). It is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products. Mary Anderson, born in Greene County, Alabama, is credited with the invention of windshield wipers. One of the coffins survives. It is forbidden to put an ice cream in your back pocket – a method once used by thieves to lure horses away on the quiet. 4. The gun used to shoot the dog in the movie “Old Yeller,” is on display in Huggin’ Molly’s Restaurant in Abbeville. See the full list of the 50 states and their borders here. Alba refers to vegetables, herbs; and plants while Amo refers to gatherer or picker. (Source: James R. Applegate, Philadelphia via Wikimedia Commons). The state attained statehood on December 14, 1819, becoming the 22nd state to join the union. Accuracy: A team of editors takes feedback from our visitors to keep trivia as up to date and as accurate as possible.Complete quiz index can be found here: Alabama Quizzes There are 36 questions on this topic. Duane Chase as Kurt in "The Sound of Music" and today. [29], 34. On January 11, 1961, Alabama seceded from the Union. Photo of a sign in Demopolis by Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com. However, the animals weren’t suited for the climate and did not make good field workers. Montgomery was chosen as the capital. 4 His first single, “My Bologna,” was also born during his college days. It has ranked among the Top 20 selling toys since its release in in 1989. Cayce, known as the Sleeping Prophet, would live for 13 years in Selma, working as a photographer. [1], 2. The Nat King Cole Show debuted on NBC-TV in 1956. Click here to read more. In the late 1850s, camels were imported to Dallas County, Ala., as part of an agricultural experiment, according to Linda Derry with Old Cahawba Archaeological Site. Ridges seen in the soil in Wetumpka are the remnants of a 6-mile diameter crater made 85 million years ago by an asteroid estimated to have been 1,000 feet in diameter. Kirchoff, shown here with one of his many awards, graduated from Auburn University. Explorer 1 was the first successful U.S. satellite. The Confederate flag was designed and first flown in Alabama in 1861. The project comprises over 70 statues, peanut-themed and crafted by local artists. Ann Lowe, who was living in New York at the time, hailed from Clayton, Ala. She was the daughter of a seamstress and great-granddaughter of a slave woman and plantation owner. Click here to read more. Alabama’s first permanent state capital is now a ghost town. Eunice Merrill (1919-2004) was known for her biscuits and home-style cooking at Aunt Eunice’s Country Kitchen in Huntsville. Dawson ordered a statue in her likeness from Italy to place on her grave in Live Oak Cemetery. The museum has been recognized as the World's Smallest Museum by the World's Record Association. It shares its border with four states (Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi.) [5], 8. Largest Collection Of African-American Art: the University of Alabama received art worth 4.8 million dollars from Paul R. Jones as donations in 2008. Did you know that Marie Bader, a 26-year-old from Mobile, Alabama, holds the world record for the fastest 10-kilometer run on sand? She was purchased by Keith and Donna Barton, who kept her as a pet and featured her in Keith’s magic act. Did you know that on the night of November 12, 1833, a spectacular occurrence of the Leonid meteor shower had been observed in Alabama? He won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The U.S. as a whole didn't acknowledge it as such until 1870. Scott was born in Virginia but lived and worked, as a slave, in Madison and Florence between 1818 and 1830. 1. Alabama is the 30th largest state in the United States in terms of total area with 135,765 square kilometers (52,419 square miles). Alabama is the 24th most populous and the 30th most extensive of the 50 states of the United States. Did you know that Saturn V, the rocket used by NASA to send people to the moon, was developed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama? It will be displayed in the Museum of Mental Health that will be housed in the original hospital, which is currently being renovated for use by the University of Alabama. She was granted the patent for her invention in 1903. It is a … When Fob James was governor, the Alabama Legislature passed a resolution naming her biscuits as the Official Biscuit of Alabama. Did you know that the Spanish were the first Europeans to reach Alabama? It was constructed of large pine logs, sawed lengthwise and laid round-side down. Alabama has some strange laws. 1-5 Alabama Facts 1. That’s because pine logs were once used to help deliver cotton gin across a four mile stretch! Peanut Capital of the World: the biggest peanut festival in the United States takes place in Dothan, Alabama every fall. Water cascades down a 162-feet rocky portal. Alabama is the second leading catfish producing state in the U.S., surpassed only by Mississippi. The Biggest Fishing Pier in Gulf Coast: Gulf State Park offers a scenic spot for tourists who love fishing and eating fish. On February 8, 2002, War Eagle VI, a golden eagle who flew before Auburn University football games from 1986-2006, made a special flight during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. [24], 21. This photo shows Sanders in later life with Alabama Gov. A grave marker in Birmingham’s Elmwood Cemetery is inscribed on three sides with the words: "You Only Live Once, But If You Do It Right, Once Is Enough.". Alabama one-upped every other state in the nation when it became the first to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday in 1836. The brother of Jesse James was acquitted on April 25, 1884, after being charged with robbing a government payroll near Muscle Shoals in 1881. The ship, created from an existing craft, was used in the second and third films in the franchise. The parade originated in 1703 in port city. The Hidden Alabama Waterfall: Never Sink Pit, Fackler is one of the most scenic limestone sinkholes. [30], 30. Today, Demopolis is a thriving town. Not putting an ice cream cone in your back pocket, and not driving while blindfolded are just a few crazy and weird laws in Alabama. Sidney Lanier, the renowned poet from Georgia, wrote his only novel, "Tiger-Lilies" in 1867 while living in Montgomery, Ala, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. Other nicknames that the state is known by are yellowhammer state and cotton state. (Source: Antonio de la Cova via FindaGrave.com). © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. And for more out-there oddities, here are 50 Wonderfully Weird Facts That Will Make You Question Everything. Only a very small percentage remains unclaimed. The state’s capital is Montgomery. Alabama once had wooden roads. [32], 6. [21], 28. See the full list of the 50 states and their borders here. Alabama is the only state to have an alcoholic beverage as its official drink: Conecuh Ridge Whiskey. It weighs 101,200 pounds. The Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965 guaranteed the right to vote to all African Americans. The 56-foot tall statue (from toe to spear point) depicting the Roman god Vulcan is the world’s largest iron-ore statue. It is illegal to maim oneself to escape duty. Enterprise hosts the World's Smallest St. Patrick's Day Parade. In 1922, Cadillac became the first car manufacturer to adopt them as standard equipment. When considering these facts, and more specifically, historic facts about Alabama, there isn’t a better place to start than looking at the state nickname, and how it adopted this famous name. What isn't suitable for retail is donated or thrown out. According to ADPH, Alabama lost approximately 527 babies to stillbirth between 2014 and 2018. After finishing his course work, he worked at the Geological Survey of Alabama while writing his thesis and later moved to Huntsville, where he worked at Intergraph Corp. She died in 2014. There really is a place called Sweet Home, Ala., and it’s a historic house in Bessemer. [22], 29. Although the 1961 film "101 Dalmatians" was set in London, the character of Cruella was voiced by Betty Lou Gerson, who was born in Chattanooga and raised in Birmingham. On December 14, 2019, Alabama celebrates its Bicentennial year (marks the completion of 200 years of its statehood). He was the Nostradamus of his day, answering questions on healing, wars and the end of the world while in a hypnotic trance, according to the Museums of Hopkinsville. [8,9], 12. For a time, he was a hostler at the Peter Blow Inn in Florence and a historic marker was erected at the site. A marker at the crater site in Wetumpka by Rivers Langley via Wikimedia Commons. The collection included over 1,700 pieces among them being the most sought-after African-American artworks. There are plenty of weird things that happen in Florida on a daily basis and plenty of weird things that have already happened. Rest assured I don’t want any awkwardness here so by all means, please let me introduce my home state with these Alabama fun facts. (Courtesy photos). Did you know that Martin Luther King, Jr. began his career as a local pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery? For 35 years, Kirchoff led efforts to create the airbag while working at Thiokol Inc., Morton International and Autoliv Inc. before they became standard equipment. It is the 24th most populous state in the United States. During the first half of the 19th century, cotton and slave labor played a central role in the state’s economy. Alabama is the only state to have an alcoholic beverage as its official drink: Conecuh Ridge Whiskey. Followers of Bonaparte tried and failed to cultivate grapes and olives in Alabama. The origin of the word Alabama is considered to be... Alabama on the map. Born in Oxford, Ala., she got her law degree from the University of Alabama in 1908. However, the flight school did not remain operational for a long time due to some problems. An Alabama native designed the wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier when she married future president John F. Kennedy. It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy. It has been ensconced in a Plexiglass case since the 1940s, where it was placed by local businessman Ben W. Davis to provide inspiration for passersby. 24. Did you know that Helen Keller, born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, was the first deaf and blind person to earn a college degree? Like many of their fellow successful bands in the country music industry, Alabama has some not-so-publicized fun facts and we are here to uncover them one by one for your reading pleasure. [26], 33. Matilda, a Red Pyle chicken whose owners were from Bessemer, lived to the ripe old age of 16, a record for chicken longevity, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. – Source 2. Workers unpack an average of 7,000 items per day. The “night the stars fell” is mentioned in several stories about Ray County. Verbena, located in Chilton County, was named for the profuse wild flowers growing in the area. According to RuralSWAlabama.org, the statue that arrived did not include his wife's beautiful curls so he sent it back and had it remade. Did you know these strange facts about Alabama divorce? An Alabamian wrote "Beetlejuice." She ran the entire 13.1 miles and finished 7th. I’m sure there are 100’s of more that I didn’t mention. What makes it the smallest? The sites were abandoned when the cultivation attempts failed. She was forced to live much of her life as "The Four-Legged Girl" in the circus but she married and had four children.