Table of Contents

Arkansas

Hernando de Soto

In 1541, adventurer Hernando de Soto became the first European to visit Arkansas.1)

Hattie Wyatt Caraway

Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas (1931-1945) was the first woman elected to a full term as a United States Senator.2)

Small State

Arkansas could fit all of Greece and practically all of Puerto Rico.3)

AIDS Pandemic

During the height of the AIDS epidemic in Arkansas, a single lady buried and performed funerals for over 40 homosexual men when their own families refused to accept them.4)

Diamond Mine

Arkansas is home to the country's sole working diamond mine.5)

Duck Calling Contest

The World Championship Duck Calling Contest in Arkansas is the oldest duck-calling competition in the world.6)

Largest Diamonds

Arkansas is home to three of America's biggest diamonds.7)

Fouke Monster

The Fouke Monster, who is said to be a relative of Bigfoot, is said to live in Fouke, Arkansas.8)

Arkansas is one of the few states with a legal pronunciation of its name.9)

Arkansas Creations

Fried pickles, contemporary archery, the Wonder Horse, the Bowie knife, and cheese-filled hot dogs are among famous Arkansas creations.10)

Catfish Consumption

Arkansas consumes more catfish than any other state.11)

Rice

Arkansas produces the most rice of any state.12)

Hot Springs

Arkansas' hot springs were a favorite “hotspot” for baseball spring training in the early twentieth century.13)

Forests And Trees

Arkansas has around 11.8 billion trees, and forests cover more than half of the state.14)

Ronald Gene Simmons

Ronald Gene Simmons was Arkansas's deadliest mass killer. He slaughtered his entire family of 14, including his 20-month-old grandson, before shooting two more.15)

WalMart

In Rogers, Arkansas, Sam Walton established the first WalMart.16)

Name Meaning

The word “Arkansas” implies “downstream people”.17)

Phoenix

Phoenix, Arkansas, was called after the mythological bird because it was established on the site of an old Hohokam village.18)

Spinach Capital

Alma, Arkansas, bills itself as the world's spinach capital because its spinach canning facility formerly processed more than half of all canned spinach in the United States. To honor its lush heritage, the town even boasts a massive Popeye statue.19)

State Capitol

The old Arkansas State Penitentiary served as the site for the Arkansas State Capitol. Long-forgotten wooden coffins were discovered during foundation excavation in 1899.20)

Iva Gurley

Representative Iva Gurley was killed by the elevator at the state capital building in 1932.21)

Cheese Dip

Arkansas invented the first cheese dip.22)

Napoleon Bonaparte

As part of the Louisiana Purchase, former French leader Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered Arkansas to the United States.23)

Little Rock

Little Rock is named after a tiny rock feature on the Arkansas River's southern bank known in French as la Petite Roche.24)

Carry A. Nation

Carry A. Nation, an Arkansas native, was so opposed to alcohol that she would destroy it with her hatchets, which she called Faith, Hope, and Charity.25)

Old Mike

Old Mike was a traveling salesman who died and was embalmed in Arkansas in 1911. For nearly 60 years, he was mysteriously placed in public outside a funeral home. He was ultimately laid to rest in 1975.26)

Blackbirds

Over 1,000 blackbirds inexplicably dropped from the sky near Beebe, Arkansas, in 2011. Nobody understands why to this day.27)

Deaf Leopard

Deaf Leopard is the mascot of the Arkansas School for the Deaf. The pupils met their mascot's renowned namesake, Def Leppard, in 2016.28)

Storm And 100 Ducks

A violent storm sprang up and dumped down on over 100 ducks in Arkansas in 1973.29)