Alabama is known for so many different things. Although many people are familiar with most of these things, there are still a few people who are not. Below are 12 quirky facts about Alabama that you may not be familiar with. In fact, some of them might even surprise you.
1. Alabama has lots and lots of snails! In fact, 43% of all snail species in the United States are found right here in Alabama.
2. The very first electric streetcar system began on April 15, 1886 in Montgomery, Alabama.
3. America’s first Mardi Gras was held in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. Not in New Orleans, Louisiana.
4. Alabama is home to the only city in the United States with an all-water mail route – Magnolia Springs.
5. The Saturn V rocket (Apollo 11) that helped send the first humans to the moon was built in Huntsville, Alabama.
6. Cherokee, Alabama is home to the Coon Dog Cemetery, established in 1937. There is no comparable cemetery in the world.
7. The very first 911 call was made on February 16, 1968 in Haleyville, Alabama.
8. Alabama is home to Vulcan (Birmingham), the tallest cast iron statue in the world. This massive statue is 56 feet tall and weighs more than 100,000 pounds.
9. Alabama is also home to “the world’s largest office chair,” which can be found at Miller’s Office Furniture in Anniston. It is 33 feet high and made from 10 tons of steel.
10. The inventor of windshield wipers, Mary Elizabeth Anderson, was from Alabama. They were invented in 1902.
11. The only confirmed person in history to have been hit by a meteorite and survived was Ann Hodges. This happened on November 30, 1954 in Oak Grove, Alabama. The meteorite is currently on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History in Tuscaloosa.
12. Alabama has its own Stonehenge. In Elberta stands an exact replica of England’s Stonehenge – Bamahenge. Bamahenge is an absolute must for all ages!
Can you think of any other quirky Alabama facts you’d add to this list? If so, please feel free to share them with us in the comments below.
To learn more about Bamahenge in Alabama, be sure to check out the following article: Most people don’t know that Alabama has a little Stonehenge.
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