10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Kentucky

Kentucky, also known as the “Bluegrass State,” was the 15th state to join America and is most famously known for bourbon whiskey, hunting, horse racing, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Similar to nearby state Iowa, Kentucky doesn’t have a professional team in any sport, so college basketball becomes a primary sport. Both the University of Kentucky and Louisville sport a huge rivalry with their prestigious basketball programs. Here are some other facts that you probably didn’t know about the state.

Cheeseburger And Pepsi Capital Of The Nation

Nothing goes better than a good cheeseburger and cola. A local restaurant in Louisville, Kaelin’s, has claimed that it invented the cheeseburger. About three and a half hours away, Pikeville, Kentucky, leads the nation in consumption of Pepsi per capita.

Post-It Notes Only From Kentucky

The official company that creates sticky notes, Post-it, has one production house in Cynthiana that creates all the Post-it notes. Similar to the KFC recipe, how many are produced each year is kept a secret from the public.

“Honest Dick” Tate Not So Honest

A treasurer back in 1888 probably wasn’t nicknamed correctly. Known as “Honest Dick,” he bolted when he stole over $250,000 from the state treasury.

Bourbon Whiskey Was Born Here

Bourbon County, located in Kentucky, is claimed to be one of the state’s drier counties, but that’s untrue. In fact, bourbon whiskey got its name from the county itself as it was first distilled there.

Famous Kentucky Horse Never Ran There

One of the most beloved horses born in Kentucky, Man O’ War, is also one of the most successful racehorses that won 20 of 21 of their races. Weirdly enough, they never ran in one of the most famous horse races, the Kentucky Derby, or anywhere in the state.

Beethoven First Arrived In Lexington

The first-ever national performance of Beethoven Symphony happened back in 1817 at Postlethwait’s Tavern in Lexington, Kentucky.

“Happy Birthday” Born In Kentucky

The melody of the famous “Happy Birthday” tune sung by everyone worldwide originated from Louisville back in 1893. Two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, composed the song.

Most Fertile Soil In The Nation?

A magazine called Progressive Farmer actually ranked Barren County in Kentucky as the best place for a farmer to live because it had the most fertile soil not only in the state, but in the nation.

Chief Justice Was A Jailbird

The Louisa County Jail was home to Frederick Vinson, who certainly turned life around and became the 13th Chief Justice of the United States.

Colonel Sanders Was Actually Real

Some famous food products, such as Uncle Ben’s breakfasts or Betty Crocker’s desserts, aren’t actually based off of real people. The KFC’s Colonel Sanders did live and breathe while developing his special recipe in Corbin, Kentucky.