Kentucky
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| Abbreviation | KY Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations |
|---|---|
| Capital | Frankfort |
| Population | 4,339,367 Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census |
| Governor | Steven L. Beshear (Democrat, to December 2015) |
| Entered the Union | June 1, 1792 as the 15th state |
| Motto | United We Stand, Divided We Fall |
| Nickname | The Bluegrass State |
| Flower | Goldenrod |
| Bird | Kentucky cardinal |
| Song | My Old Kentucky Home |
| Professional Sports Teams | No NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams. (sports listing policy) |
| Origin of Name | From an Iroquoian word “Ken-tah-ten” meaning “land of tomorrow” |
| Historical Sites | Cumberland 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 Interest | Kentucky Derby, Mammoth Cave National Park, Daniel Boone National Forest, Red River Gorge Geological Area |
| Bordering States | Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. |
| Flag |  |
Follow these links to read articles about Kentucky from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:
Official State Links
- Kentucky.gov: My New Kentucky Home
http://kentucky.gov/
This is the official website for the State of Kentucky. - Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
http://www.kdla.ky.gov/
Here is the homepage for the Kentucky State Library Agency and the Kentucky State Archives. - Kentucky Historical Society
http://history.ky.gov/
Here is the homepage for the Kentucky State Historical Society. - Kentucky State Parks
http://parks.ky.gov/
Here is the homepage for Kentucky State Parks. - TourKy: Kentucky Tourism Council
http://www.tourky.com/tourky/html/
Here is the official state tourism website for Kentucky. - Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit
http://www.kentuckytourism.com/
Here is the official state travel website for Kentucky. - Kentucky.gov Kid’s Pages
http://kentucky.gov/education/Pages/edu_kidspages.aspx
Here is a list of helpful links for kids gathered by the Kentucky state government.
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:
- Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865), 16th president of the United States.
- 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.