Nicknamed as the 'Show-me' state, Missouri is a rich and diverse state in terms of geography.
Bordering eight other states (highest in the USA along with Tennessee), the capital of the state is Jefferson City while its cultural center is St. Louis.
With over 6,000 caves, Missouri has also earned the nickname 'the Cave State'. Richland is the only location in the USA to have a cave restaurant.
The University of Missouri is located in Columbia. The first school for journalism was started here in 1908.
University of Missouri Research Reactor Center is the only source of isotopes used in Nuclear medicine in the USA.
The tradition of Homecoming is also said to have originated in the University of Missouri. Director of Athletics Chester L. Brewer, invited the alumni back for a college football game and held a parade and a rally.
Located in St. Louis, is Anheuser-Busch the largest beer-brewing company in the world, established as early as 1853.
After Rome, Kansas City, Missouri has the second most fountains in the world. However, the city has laid claim to having the most working fountains in the world.
Captain Albert Berry made the first successful parachute jump from a moving airplane at the U.S. army barracks outside St. Louis.
During the devastating Tri-State Tornado of 1925 which affected the states of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, the city of Annapolis was almost completely destroyed.
It was the most devastating tornado in US history and the second-most devastating in the world.
The strongest Earthquake in US history (outside Alaska) was recorded in New Madrid, Missouri in 1812.
So strong was this earthquake that it caused the Mississippi River to run backwards for many hours
The 1904 Olympics held in St. Louis were the first Olympics held outside Europe. They were also the first Olympic Games to award Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for the participants.
At the fair held in conjunction with the Olympics in 1904, the ice-cream cone was invented. A vender, running out of cups, asked a nearby waffle vendor to roll the waffles and serve the ice-cream in them.
Missouri has a state grape. In 2003 the Norton/Cynthiana grape (Vitis aestivalis) was named as the official state grape of Missouri.
University City in Missouri has some peculiar laws. Some of them include:
It is not allowed to honk the horn of another person's car.
It is illegal to have a yard sale and most peculiar of all,
At a time, four women are not allowed to rent an apartment together.