Telephone directories known as Yellow Pages came about by accident in Cheyenne in 1883, as a local printer ran out of white paper and had to use yellow instead.

In 2015, Madison declared the plastic flamingo as the city’s official bird, stemming back to a 1979 prank at the University of Wisconsin.

After West Virginia achieved statehood by separating from Virginia, Charleston became the state capital in 1877.

Olympia is named for the nearby Olympic Mountains. The settlement became Washington’s territorial capital in 1853.

Founding Father Patrick Henry delivered his famous “give me liberty, or give me death,” address at Richmond’s historic St. John’s Church in 1775.

While 49 state capitals have McDonald’s restaurants within their city limits, Montpelier is the lone exception.

Salt Lake City also serves as the headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon church).

The slogan “Keep Austin Weird” gained popularity in 2000 thanks to a local radio show.

Nashville’s Centennial Park contains an exact replica of the Athenian Parthenon, which was built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition.

Pierre, South Dakota’s capital city, is named after Pierre Choteau, Jr., a prominent fur trader who lived in the area in the 1800s.

In 1786, the South Carolina legislature ordered the construction of a new city, later called Columbia, to replace Charleston as the state capital.

From 1854 until 1900, Providence shared dual capital status with Newport.

Harrisburg was the site of the first national convention of the Whig party in 1839, where the party nominated future President William Henry Harrison.

Salem served as Oregon’s territorial capital from 1851 to 1852. It was made the official capital by popular vote in 1864.

The NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder are Oklahoma’s only major league sports franchise.

Fast food chain Wendy’s got its start in Ohio’s capital city. Founder Dave Thomas opened the restaurant’s first location in Columbus in 1964.

Bismarck was named in 1873 in honor of German chancellor Otto von Bismarck — part of an effort to attract German investment in the local railway.

Raleigh was named for English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, who attempted to establish a settlement in the Americas in the 1580s.

Albany, which became New York’s capital in 1797, was named after the Duke of York's Scottish title, the Duke of Albany, in 1664.

Santa Fe’s origins date back to a small settlement in 1607, making it the oldest capital city in the country.

The city of Trenton briefly served as the national capital in November and December of 1784.

In 1838, future 14th President Franklin Pierce moved his family to Concord, the city he called home until his death in 1869.

Nevada’s capital is named after the Carson River, which was named by explorer John C. Frémont in honor of his scout, Kit Carson.

Lincoln was originally named Lancaster, but it was renamed after President Abraham Lincoln in 1867, two years after his assassination.

Helena is located in Lewis and Clark County, named after the famed explorers who traversed the region while exploring the Louisiana Purchase.

In the early 1800s, Daniel Morgan Boone, child of American pioneer Daniel Boone, laid out the foundations for what became Jefferson City.

About 2,900 feet beneath the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi, lies an extinct volcano that was first discovered in 1819.

With 26 miles, St. Paul boasts more shoreline along the Mississippi River than any other city.

Upon achieving statehood in 1837, Michigan named Detroit as its capital, but the capital was later moved to Lansing in the 1840s.

Built between 1895 and 1897, America’s first-ever subway line was built in Boston.

Domes are generally synonymous with state capitol buildings, but Maryland’s is the only one in the U.S. made from wood.

The first performance of John Philip Sousa’s patriotic hit “Stars and Stripes Forever” took place in Augusta on May 1, 1897.

The Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge reaches 450 feet and 34 stories high, making it the tallest state capitol building in the U.S.

Frankfort has served as the Kentucky state capital since 1792, six years after the city was founded.

The Kansas capital was named in the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case “Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.”

Before being known as Des Moines, the Iowa capital was called Fort Des Moines when it was established in 1843.

Known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the Indianapolis 500 occurs annually in Indiana’s state capital, as racers attempt to traverse the 2.5-mile track 200 times.

In 1837, Springfield welcomed future 16th President Abraham Lincoln as a resident. He lived there until taking office in 1861.

Boise is home to a six-ton potato statue that was created in 2012 and later turned into the Big Idaho Potato Hotel in 2019.

Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, was originally settled more than 2,000 years ago. Its name means “sheltered harbor” in the Hawaiian language.

The 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games marked the centennial celebration of the modern Olympics.

Tallahassee has been the capital of Florida since 1824. It was a central location between St. Augustine and Pensacola — the joint capitals of the Florida Territory.

Dover, the capital of America’s first state, was named after the English city of the same name.

Hartford is nicknamed the “Insurance Capital of the World,” as it's home to the headquarters of many major insurance providers.

One of the steps of the state capitol building in Denver sits exactly 5,280 feet (one mile) above sea level.

Incorporated in February 1850, Sacramento is older than California itself. California joined the Union in September of that year.

Little Rock is home to the Bill Clinton Presidential Center, dedicated to the former U.S. President and Arkansas governor.

With upwards of 1.6 million residents, Phoenix is the most populous state capital.

Covering 3,255 square miles, Juneau is the largest state capital by area.

Montgomery was named after General Richard Montgomery, a soldier killed in battle during the American Revolution.