Looking for some new trivia topics to (hopefully) impress your dinner guests? If you’re looking for some new things to say about our state, here are 15 little known facts about Arizona that, at the very least, raise some eyebrows in wonder.

1. Arizona territory could have joined the Union earlier.
Grand Canyon National Park/Flickr
Had voters approved the measure to be added with New Mexico in becoming one massive state, we could have celebrated statehood sooner. Arizonans, however, did not approve and we became our own state a little over a month later.
2. We have one of the best preserved meteor craters in the world.
Julius Whittington/Flickr
The Barringer Meteor Crater, better known as Meteor Crater, sits outside Winslow and is estimated to be about 50,0000 years old.
3. NASA astronauts did some of their moon landing training at Meteor Crater.
Paul Hudson/Flickr
They imagined the moon’s surface would be similar to the site and practiced soil sampling in the area.
4. Arizona women won state suffrage eight years earlier than the rest of the country.
Christina B Castro/Flickr
While suffrage proposals were introduced in the 1880s, it wasn’t until after achieving statehood in 1912 that male voters approved an initiative for women to vote.
5. We have a popular state gem!
Neeta Lind/Flickr
You’ve heard of the state bird, state flower, and state song. but did you know that turquoise is our state gem?
6. And state neckwear since 1971.
Cliff Hutson/Flickr
Best known for its association with western wear, the bolo tie is our state’s official neckwear.
7. Gilbert was a hay capital.
Kevin Dooley/Flickr
During World War II, Gilbert was best known for supplying war horses with alfalfa hay.

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8. The state seal seals the deal for settler history.
Wikimedia Commons
Emblazoned with the phrase "ditat deus" (God enriches), it features a picturesque image of mining, grazing, and farming that drove settlers across the plain for land to claim.
9. Arizona is home to 21 federally recognized Indian tribes and 28% of the state is reservation land.
Grand Canyon National Park/Flickr
The two largest reservations are the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona (though it also encompasses a portion of Utah and New Mexico) and the Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona.
10. Arizona has the largest number of speakers of Indigenous languages.
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
Navajo (Diné bizaad) is the most widely spoken in our state and, coincidentally, is spoken more here than in the rest of the nation. It is closely followed by Western Apache and Yavapai.
11. The first known European to enter lands now considered Arizona was Marcos de Niza in 1539.
Patrick Alexander/Flickr
A Jesuit Franciscan, de Niza moved through a portion of eastern Arizona and a later expedition was led by conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in search of the fabled cities of gold.
12. Picacho Peak was the site of the westernmost Civil War battle.
rwarrin/Flickr
In spring 1862, a few dozen Confederate and Union soldiers duked it out near the peak, leaving three dead and five wounded.
13. By the way, Arizona has a confederate history.
robina/Flickr
The lower half along with a portion of New Mexico was claimed by the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.
14. The only woman to be executed in the state was Eva Dugan.
Global Panorama/Flickr
And what a grisly sight it was. She was executed in February 1930 by hanging but the rope wound up decapitating her and caused several spectators to faint, including three men. This event also led the state to adopt lethal gas chambers as a preferred execution method.
15. Two World War II Japanese internment camps were on Arizona soil.
J Curnow/Flickr
Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to sites on the Colorado River and the Gila River Indian Reservations despite vocal objections from tribal governments.

So, how many of these did you already know? What other facts would you like to share with your fellow Arizonans? Here are more Arizona facts that may make you want to move there if you don’t live there already.

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Little Known Facts About Arizona

Leah | July 31, 2020

What are the weirdest things about Arizona?

With all this Arizona trivia, you might not be surprised to learn about some of the other weird and quirky things about the state. For example, Arizona is home to the Mystery Castle. Located in Phoenix, this structure was the work of one man that he left to his family after receiving a grim diagnosis in the 1930s. It's full of unusual yet beautiful architecture and you can visit it for yourself today. It's not uncommon for Arizonans to celebrate Arizona Statehood Day instead of Valentine's Day, something not many other states tend to do. There are also quite a few wacky roadside attractions, many remnants of Route 66, such as The Thing. Located near the town of Dragoon, you'll have to visit it if you want to figure out what it is.

What is Arizona known for?

There are many interesting things about Arizona that have become part of what the state is known for. It's no secret that The Grand Canyon State is home to the Grand Canyon, an impressive natural wonder that's one of the most well-known in the world. Arizona is also known for being a massive desert, and although much of the state does consist of desert landscapes, people are missing out on the mountains and cooler areas. Places like Flagstaff easily break that stereotype, and it does snow within the state. One part of the desert stereotypes is true, however: the saguaro cactus. Many wild west desert environments are shown with these tall, prickly beings, but few people know that the only place in the world you'll find them is in the Sonoran desert.

What stereotypes are there about Arizona?

Living in Arizona will either prove or disprove many of the stereotypes that float around about the state. Many people think Arizona is boiling hot all the time. While in the summer this is true - temperatures can soar well over 100 during the day - but it is not true year-round. At night the desert can get below freezing while in the fall and winter it is relatively cool outside, sometimes even chilly. Another Arizona stereotype is that it's a great place to find fantastic Mexican food, and many would say this is absolutely true. Most Arizonans have a favorite spot for Mexican cuisine that they swear is the best of them all.

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