Kentucky – ipl Stately Knowledge: Facts about the United States

Kentucky

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AbbreviationKY
Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations
CapitalFrankfort
Population4,339,367
Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census
GovernorSteven L. Beshear (Democrat, to December 2015)
Entered the UnionJune 1, 1792
as the 15th state
MottoUnited We Stand, Divided We Fall
NicknameThe Bluegrass State
FlowerGoldenrod
BirdKentucky cardinal
SongMy Old Kentucky Home
Professional Sports TeamsNo NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams.
(sports listing policy)
Origin of NameFrom an Iroquoian word “Ken-tah-ten” meaning “land of tomorrow”
Historical SitesCumberland Gap National Historical Park, Fort Knox, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, Fort Boonesborough State Park, Fort Campbell Memorial Park, Fort Duffield, Old Fort Harrod Stat e Park
Points of InterestKentucky Derby, Mammoth Cave National Park, Daniel Boone National Forest, Red River Gorge Geological Area
Bordering StatesKentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
FlagKentucky's flag

Follow these links to read articles about Kentucky from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Kentucky
    http://www.50states.com/kentucky.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Kentucky. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Kentucky
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/KY/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Kentucky’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Kentucky Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/ky.html
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in Kentucky.
  • Kentucky.com
    http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/
    Kentucky.com is the online partner of the Lexington Herald-Leader newspapers and offers a gateway to things about Kentucky on the Internet. Check it out for news, sports, entertainment, classifieds and more.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Kentucky
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/21000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in Kentucky.
  • The Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held horse race in the country. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
  • The Bluegrass country around Lexington is the home of some of the world’s finest race horses.
  • Kentucky was a popular hunting ground for the Shawnee and Cherokee Indian nations prior to settlement by whites.
  • In 1774, Harrodstown (now Harrodsburg) was established as the first permanent settlement in the Kentucky region. It was named after James Harrod who led the team of surveyors.
  • The state tree is the Tulip poplar.
  • Cheeseburgers were first served in 1934 at Kaelin’s restaurant in Louisville.
  • All Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured in Bowling Green.
  • Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest cave and was first promoted in 1816. This makes it the second oldest tourist attraction in the U.S., preceded only by Niagara Falls.
  • The first commercial oil well was on the Cumberland River in McCreary County Kentucky in 1819.

Some Famous People from this State

  • Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) (1942 – ), world heavyweight boxing champion.
  • Jefferson Davis (1808 – 1889), only president of the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865.
  • Presidents from Kentucky with links to ipl’s POTUS (Presidents of the United States) page:
  • Harold (“Pee Wee”) Reese (1919 – ), baseball shortstop with Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • (“Col.”) Harland Sanders (1890 – 1980), founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
  • John T. Scopes (1900 – 1970), defendant in the “monkey trial” in Dayton, Tenn., charged with illegal teaching of Darwin’s theory of evolution; convicted and fined $100.
  • Kit Carson (1809 – 1868), scout and Indian agent.