Tennessee

TN's width is almost 4 times its height: the northeast corner of TN is closer to Canada than it is to the southwest corner.

Reelfoot Lake is TN's largest natural lake, formed in 1811 when an earthquake sank part of a forest.  The earthquake also caused the Mississippi River to flow backward briefly, flooding the sunken land area.

Tennessee has 9 official state songs, including "The Tennessee Waltz" and "Rocky Top."

Tennessee seceded from the US in 1860.  Scott County, however, in eastern TN was pro-Union and seceded from TN.  The county didn't officially rejoin TN until 1986.

TN saw the 2nd most battles during the Civil War, behind only Virginia.  The bloodiest of the war was in western TN at Shiloh, where 23,500 soldiers died.  In 1866, TN was the 1st Confederate state to rejoin the Union.

Dayton, TN, is famous for the Scopes Trial, challenging a TN law prohibiting schools from teaching evolution.  The law wasn't repealed until 1967.  Unsurprisingly, TN is part of the Bible Belt; many Christians have very fundamental beliefs.  Incidentally, Nashville is among the world's leading Bible producers.

300,000 Tennesseans fought in WWII.  In 1942, the Oak Ridge National Labs started working on the Manhattan Project.

In TN, the governor is the only official elected statewide.  The speaker of the Senate serves as the lieutenant governor; the secretary of state and state treasurer and state comptroller are all appointed by the General Assembly; the Supreme Court appoints the attorney general, and the governor appoints all other agency heads.  The governor isn't the only one who can call the General Assembly into special session: a 2/3 vote of each chamber can also call a special session.

In Hancock County in eastern TN live Melungeons, descendants of Portuguese explorers who have lived in the area since at least 1673, which is when an English explorer met them and reported the encounter.

TN is known for its music: the blues were born in Memphis; bluegrass was born in middle and eastern TN and KY; country music has the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville; Elvis Presley's Graceland is in Memphis.  TN also has 2 symphony orchestras, 3 opera companies, and a ballet company.

The Great Smoky Mountains are home to a wild tiger lily that can grow 6' tall.  Roan Mountain has a grove of wild rhododendrons that covers 600 acres.

Roan Mountain rhododendrons

The Fox Trot Carousel at Riverfront Park in Nashville has, instead of horses, figures of famous Tennesseeans.

Bristol is one of the few US towns that lies in 2 states (in this case, TN and VA).

TN has an official state agricultural insect (honeybee), official state butterfly (Zebra swallowtail), and 2 official state insects (firefly and ladybug).  It has an official state commercial fish (Channel catfish) and official state sport fish (smallmouth bass).  It has an official state cultivated flower (iris) and 2 official state wild flowers (passionflower and TN echinacea).  It has an official state evergreen tree (Eastern red cedar) and official state tree (tulip poplar).  It has an official state fossil (Pterotrigonia thoracica), official state gem (TN River pearl), official state mineral (agate), and official state rock (limestone).  It has an official state bird (mockingbird) and official state game bird (bobwhite quail).

Passion flower

Tennessee echinacea

TN was the birthplace of (among many others): Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Clarence Saunders (Mr. Piggly Wiggly), and Sgt. Alvin York.  Sgt. York is one of the best known and most decorated soldiers from WWI; as an example, for singlehandedly defeating a group of Germans at the Battle of Argonne Forest, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.