NORTH CAROLINA

In ancient times, the eastern half of North Carolina was underwater, and the state was home to woolly mammoths and mastodons.

North Carolina was one of the first two colonies to declare independence.

The first English colony in the New World was established in North Carolina.

The state's nickname is "Tar Heel State", but the origin of the nickname is unknown.

During Prohibition, North Carolina was nicknamed "The Moonshine State".

The pirate Blackbeard lived in North Carolina in the early 1700s.

President James K. Polk was born in North Carolina.

Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk was born in North Carolina.

Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The first successful man-powered flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903.

The Biltmore Estate, the largest home in the United States, is located in Asheville, North Carolina.

The state motto is "Esse quam videri", which means "To be, rather than to seem".

Charlotte is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.