KY FACTS

I just received this from one of my cousins from Kentucky of course. I dedicate it to my 360 friends from KY: Sally, Tessie aka Petal and Deb who recently lost her beloved grandmother, my family, and just anyone who loves KENTUCKY or KFC.

• 1792 - Kentucky was the first state on the western frontier to join the Union.
• 1816 (first promoted) - Mammoth Cave, with 336+ miles of mapped passages, is the world's longest cave. It is 379 feet deep and contains at least 5 levels of passages. It's second only to Niagara Falls as the most popular tourist attraction in the US. It became a National Park on July 1, 1941.
• 1856 - the first enamel bathtub was made in Louisville.
• 1883 - The first electric light bulb was shown in Louisville. Thomas Edison introduced his invention to crowds at the Southern Exposition.
• 1887 - Mother's Day was first observed in Henderson by teacher Mary S. Wilson. It became a national holiday in 1916.
• 1893 - Happy Birthday to You, probably the most sung song in the world, was written by two Louisville sisters - Mildred & Patricia Hill.
• Late 19th Century - Bibb lettuce was first cultivated by Jack Bibb in Frankfort, Kentucky.
  
• 1896 - The first (known) set of all male quintuplets was born in Paducah.
• 1934 - Cheeseburgers were first tasted at Kaelin's restaurant in Louisville.
• 1937 - The first Wigwam Village Motel, with all units in the shape of a teepee, was built by Frank A. Redford in Clay City.
• The world's largest baseball bat, a full one hundred and twenty feet long and weighing 68,000 pounds, can be seen at the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville.
• Covington, KY (St. Mary's Cathedral - Basilica of the Assumption) is home of the largest hand blown stained glass window in existence. It measures an astounding 24 feet by 67 feet and contains 117 different figures.
• The world's largest crucifix, standing at sixty feet tall is in Bardstown, KY.
• Fort Knox holds more than $6 billion worth of gold - the largest amount stored anywhere in the world.
• The JIF plant in Lexington is the world's largest peanut butter producing facility.
• Middlesboro is the only US city built inside a meteor crater.
• Newport is the home to The World Peace Bell, the world's largest free-swinging bell.
• Pikesville annually leads the nation (per capita) in consumption of Pepsi-Cola.
• Post-It Notes are made exclusively in Cynthiana, KY.
• Shaker Village (Pleasant Hill) is the largest historic community of its kind in the US.
• Christian County is "wet" while Bourbon County is "dry".
• Barren County has the most fertile land in the state.
• One part of Kentucky is completely separated from the rest of the state by the Mississippi River.
• Kentucky has more shoreline than Florida.