- The state is named after the Missouri river, which was in turn named after the Missouri tribe of Native Americans. The word is sometimes mistranslated as meaning "muddy water", but its actual meaning is "town of the large canoes". The nickname, "Show Me State" may have derived from when Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver stated, "I'm from Missouri and you've got to show me," in 1899.
- It is a landlocked state, and ties with Tennessee for the largest number of states it shares borders with - eight. In Missouri's case these are Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
- Famous people who come from Missouri include Eminem, Robert Pershing Wadlow (the world's tallest man), TS Eliot, Maya Angelou, Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, Sara Teasdale, Gillian Flynn and one US President, Harry S. Truman. Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for The Little House on the Prairie series, wrote all of her books while living at Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri.
- Missouri has had its share of natural disasters. The most powerful Earthquake to strike the United States occurred in 1811, centered in New Madrid, Missouri. The earthquake caused a tsunami in the Mississippi River, making the river run backward for several hours. The state also saw the most destructive Tornado in U.S. history in 1925, which killed 695 people, injured 2027, and demolished about 15,000 homes.
- Some things you need to avoid doing in order to stay on the right side of the law in Missouri: sit on the curb and drink Beer out of a bucket; frighten a baby; throw a hard object by hand; worry a Squirrel or give alcoholic drinks to Elephants. In University City it is illegal for 4 women to rent an apartment together, while in Marquette, no more than 4 unrelated people can share accommodation. Finally, milkmen are prohibited from running while on duty.
- The state capital is Jefferson City, named for Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. The largest cities, however, are Kansas City and St. Louis, which are home to more than half of the state’s population. Kansas City has more miles of boulevards than Paris and more fountains than any city except Rome, not to mention more miles of freeway per capita than any city with more than a million population.
- There are more than 6,000 known caves in Missouri, including one which has been turned into a restaurant. America's only cave restaurant is in Richland, Missouri.
- The first Summer Olympic Games to be hosted by the USA took place in Missouri, at the same time as the World's Fair. The Games lasted four and a half months with one event taking place on each day of the Fair. Climbing a greasy pole was an Olympic event that year. There was also a marathon in which about half the competitors got heat stroke and the winner cheated by hitching a car ride from mile nine to mile 19.
- Missouri has an official state Dinosaur - the Hypsibema missouriense, a duck-billed dinosaur with over 1,000 teeth. It was first discovered near Glen Allen, Missouri in 1942. Missouri is also one of twelve states to have named an official state Horse - the Missouri Fox Trotter. Other state symbols include: state animal: Mule; bird: bluebird; insect: Honey Bee; tree: flowering dogwood; rock: Mozarkite; song: The "Missouri Waltz"; dance: square dance; musical instrument: fiddle.
- In 1865 Missouri became the first slave state to free its slaves.
My latest books
Closing the Circle
A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.
Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader.
Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.
The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.
Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.
Available from:
Amazon (Paperback)
A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.
Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader.
Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.
The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.
Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.
Available from:
Amazon (Paperback)
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