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• 1764 - Plans were first developed for the Lexington Public Library, the first library west of the Allegheny Mountains, making it older than the city itself.
• 1774 - Harrodsburg was established as the first permanent settlement in Kentucky, although it was called Harrodstown at the time.
• 1780 - Washington, Ky., was the first town to be named for a US President.
• 1787 - The first steamboat was built by Kentuckian John Fitch, followed closely by the second built by James Rumsey (1787) and the third by Edward West (1802);
• 1789 - The first Bourbon whiskey was made in Kentucky.
• 1792 - Kentucky was the first state on the western frontier to join the Union.
• 1801 - The first Lunatic asylum in Kentucky (2nd in the US) was opened in Lexington.
• 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.  [map1]  [map2]
• 1817 - Lexington experienced the first Am performance of a Beethoven symphony.
• 1819 - The first commercial oil well was on the Cumberland River in McCreary Co.
• 1835 - The first railroad in the West (2nd in the US) went 28 miles from Lexington to Frankfort.
• 1861 - Robert S. Williams invented the Williams Rapid-Fire Gun, a predecessor of the machine gun.
• 1861 (Dec.) - The first Civil War Monument was erected in Hart County by August Bloedner, a German born stonemason (Company I, 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, United States Army) to honor fellow soldiers killed during the Battle of Rowletts Station, December 17, 1861. The monument has since been moved to Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
• 1875 - The Ky. Derby is the oldest and most prestigous horse race in the US - the first of the triple crown races. The Derby is held in Louisville at Churchill Downs the first Saturday in May. The Derby was patterned after the Epsom Derby, which got its start in 1780 at Epsom Downs (Surrey, England). The first Ky. Derby was won by the horse Aristides.
• 1856 - The first enamel bathtub was made in Louisville.
• 1883 - The first electric light bulb was shown in Louisville. Thomas Alva 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. [more info]
• 1893 - Happy Birthday to You, probably the most sung song in the world, was written by two Louisville sisters - Mildred & Patricia Hill.
• 1896 - The first (known) set of all male quintuplets was born in Paducah.
• late 19th cent - Bibb lettuce was first cultivated by Jack Bibb in Kentucky.
• 1917 - Building of the Jefferson Davis Monument is started. Standing 351 feet tall, it is the world's tallest concrete obelisk. Construction was halted in 1918 due to WWI. It was resumed in 1922 and completed in 1924.  [pic]
• 1926 - Kentucky became the first of six (6) states to adopt the Cardinal as its official symbol.
• 1934 - Cheeseburgers were first tasted at Kaelin's restaurant in Louisville.
• 1937 - The first Wigwam Village Motel, with units in the shape of a "teepee", was built by Frank A. Redford in Cave City.
• 1972 - Loretta Lynn was the first woman to be honored as Country Music Entertainer of the Year.
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• 100+ Kentuckians have been elected governors of other states.
• The world's largest baseball bat, a full one hundred twenty (120) feet tall and weighing 68,000 pounds, can be seen at the Louiville Slugger Museum in Louisville (Jefferson Co.).
• The Boy Scouts of America Scouting Museum is located on the campus of Murray State University (Murray).
• Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured only in Bowling Green.
• Corbin is home to the first Ky. Fried Chicken restaurant. It was actually owned and operated by Colonel Harlan Sanders himself. You can still visit the restaurant today.
• Covington (St. Mary's Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption) is home to the world's largest hand blown stained glass window in existence. It measures an astounding 24 feet by 67 feet and contains 117 different figures.
• The wordl's largest crucifix, standing at sixty (60) feet tall, is in Bardstown (Nelson Co.).
• Cumberland Falls (Corbin) is the only known waterfall in the world to regularly display a 'moonbow'.
• Danville is the home of the first Post Office and the first college west of the Alleghenies as well as the first courthouse in Kentucky.
• Fort Knox holds more than $6 billion worth of gold - the largest amount stored anywhere in the world.  [map]
• High Bridge (near Nicholasville) is the highest railroad bridge over navigable water in the US.
• The JIF plant in Lexington is the world's largest peanut butter producing facility.
• Kentucky has more resort parks than any other state in the nation.
• Middlesboro is the only US city built inside a meteor crater.
• Newport is home to The World Peace Bell, the world's largest free-swinging bell.
• Pike County is the world's largest producer of coal.
• Pikeville 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.
• Thunder over Louisville, the opening event for the Ky. Derby, is the world's largest fireworks display.
• Vanceburg is home to the only monument south of the Ohio River dedicated to Union Soldiers who died in the Civil War.
• Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell (Kenton Co.) houses the world's largest collection of ventriloquism items.
• Vinson, Frederick (b. in Louisa) is the only Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court known to be born in jail.

KY. ODDITIES:
        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.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT KY.:
        The word Commonwealth comes from "commonweal" meaning 'for the good of all', or 'government based on the common consent of the people'. Kentucky is one (1) of just four (4) states to use this designation, the others being Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia. There is no actual difference between a state and a commonwealth. [more info]
        The Robeling Suspension Bridge (Covington) is a scale model of the Brooklyn Bridge.
        The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge (Maysville) is a model of the Golden Gate Bridge.
        During the Civil War, Kentucky was officially a neutral state, with 100,000 fighting for the North and 40,000 fighting for the South.

MORE FACTS & FIGURES: Kentucky.com ‡ KY Facts Page ‡ KY History Links ‡ KY Timeline ‡ Vital Records Index ‡

ISSUES ON / ABOUT ED. IN KY.: The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) has been both praised and persecuted since its inception. One thing you can say about KERA and education in general: most people in Kentucky have pretty strong opinions about education and are willing to tell you about them. Use these links to learn more about KERA:    [KERA 1]    [KERA 2]    [KERA 3]   

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Alice Lloyd Coll ‡ Asbury Coll ‡ Asbury Theol Sem ‡ Bellarmine Univ ‡ Berea Coll ‡ Brescia Univ ‡ Campbellsville Univ ‡ Center Coll ‡ Clear Creek Baptist Bible Coll ‡ Cumberland Coll ‡ Daymar Coll ‡ Eastern Ky Univ ‡ Georgetown Coll ‡ Ky Christian Coll ‡ Ky Mtn Bible Coll ‡ Ky St Univ ‡ Ky Wesleyan Coll ‡ Lees Coll Campus ‡ Lindsey Wilson Coll ‡ McKendree Coll ‡ Mid Continent Coll ‡ Midway Coll ‡ Morehead St Univ ‡ Murray St Univ ‡ Northern Ky Univ ‡ Pikeville Coll ‡ Saint Catherine Coll ‡ Simmons Bible Coll ‡ Southern Baptist Theol Sem ‡ Spalding Univ ‡ Spencerian Coll ‡ Sullivan Univ ‡ Thomas More Coll ‡ Transylvania Univ ‡ Union Coll ‡ Univ of Ky ‡ Univ of Louisville ‡ Western Ky Univ ‡

COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGES: Ashland Comm & Tech Coll ‡ Bowling-Green Tech Coll ‡ Cent Ky Tech Coll ‡ Elizabethtown Comm Coll ‡ Hazard Comm Coll ‡ Henderson Comm Coll ‡ Hopkinsville Comm Coll ‡ Jefferson Comm Coll ‡ Jefferson Tech Coll ‡ Ky Comm & Tech Coll Syst ‡ Lexington Comm Coll ‡ Louisville Tech Inst ‡ Madisonville Comm Coll ‡ Maysville Comm Coll ‡ Nat'l Coll of Bus & Tech ‡ Owensboro Comm & Tech Coll ‡ Paducah Comm Coll ‡ Prestonsburg Comm Coll ‡ Somerset Comm Coll ‡ Southeast Comm Coll ‡ Western Ky Comm Coll ‡

OTHER EDUCATION LINKS: Academy of Technology Ed ‡ Appalshop ‡ Belfry H S Yearbooks ‡ Bethesda Bible Inst ‡ Challenger Learning Cntr ‡ Deaf, Ky Sch for the ‡ Ed Facts, Ky ‡ Ed in Rural Ky ‡ Home Educators, Christian ‡ Ind Coll & Univ; Assoc of Ky ‡ Int'l Studies, Ky Inst for ‡ KATS ‡ Ky Ed Television ‡ KHEAA ‡ KyEducators ‡ Ky Mentor ‡ Partnership for Ky Sch ‡ Postsecondary Ed; Ky Counc on ‡ Prichard Comm ‡ PTA Ky ‡ Sch Bd Assoc, Ky ‡ Tales, Ky ‡ Virtual Adult Ed; Ky ‡ Virtual High Sch; Ky ‡ Virtual Lib; Ky ‡ Virtual Univ; Ky ‡

BUS/ORG LINKS: Attys, Ky Assn of Trial ‡ Banker's Assoc ‡ Bar Assoc ‡ Better Bus Bur ‡ Broadcasters Assoc ‡ Cattlemen's Assoc; Ky ‡ Chamb of Comm ‡ Coal Assoc; Ky ‡ Corn Grower's Assoc; Ky ‡ CPAs, Soc of ‡ Engineering Cntr; Ky ‡ Hosp Assoc ‡ Humane Soc ‡ Med Assoc ‡ Music Ed Assoc ‡ Nurses Assoc ‡ Press Assoc ‡ Psychol Assoc ‡ Realtors, Assoc of ‡ Restaurant Assoc ‡ Sm Bus Admin ‡ Sm Bus Dev Center ‡ Surveyors Assoc, Pro ‡ Women; Ky Found for ‡

GOV'T LINKS: [ MASTER LIST - all Ky Gov Sites ] Adult Ed & Lit ‡ Agriculture ‡ Air Qual ‡ Atty Gen ‡ Blind ‡ Constitution ‡ Corrections ‡ Driver Licensing ‡ Economic Dev ‡ Education ‡ Elections ‡ Emer Mgmnt, Div of ‡ Emp Serv ‡ Env Protect ‡ Families & Children ‡ Finan Institutions, Dept of ‡ Fish & Wildlife ‡ Forestry ‡ Geographic Info ‡ Governor ‡ Health Serv ‡ Insurance ‡ Justice ‡ Justice, Court of ‡ Ky Rev Statutes ‡ Labor ‡ Legislature ‡ Libraries & Archives ‡ Medicaid Serv ‡ Military Affairs ‡ Natural Res ‡ Offender Online Lookup, Ky ‡ Personnel ‡ Pub Hlth ‡ Pub Serv Comm ‡ Retirement Systems ‡ Revenue ‡ Sec of St ‡ Sex Offender Reg ‡ Soc. Security ‡ St Gov't ‡ St Police, Ky ‡ Tech; Office of ‡ Tourism ‡ Transportation ‡ Treasury ‡ Vital Records ‡ Voc Rehab ‡ Women; Comm on ‡ Workforce Dev ‡

MISC. LINKS: ACLU of Ky ‡ Cyndislist ‡ Geneology, Ky Interactive ‡ Historical Soc; Ky ‡ Humanities Counc; Ky ‡ KMEA ‡ Ky Colonels Org ‡ Ky Explorer ‡ KyCARES ‡ KyGenWeb ‡ Ky On Line ‡ Ky Roots; My Old ‡ Ky Subject Index ‡ Lottery Corp, Ky ‡ Missing Children, Ky's ‡ Newspapers; Ky ‡ Press Assoc; Ky ‡ Surnames of Ky ‡ WSGS.com ‡ Youth Advocates ‡

POLITICAL LINKS: Congress, KY memb of ‡ Constitution Party ‡ Dem Party ‡ Elected Officials, Ky's ‡ Green Party ‡ House Members ‡ League of Women Voters; Ky ‡ Legal History Links; Ky ‡ Libertarian Party ‡ Natural Law Party ‡ Reform Party ‡ Rep Party ‡ Senate Members ‡

RELIGION LINKS: Baptist - Big Creek; FWB ‡ Baptist Conv; Ky ‡ Baptist Fellowship; Ky ‡ Catholic - Catholic Conf of Ky ‡ Disciples of Christ - Christian Church in Ky ‡ Episcopal - Episcopal Church Home ‡ Episcopal Diocese of Ky ‡ Jewish - Jewish Fed; Central Ky ‡ Methodist - UM Homes for Child. & Youth ‡ Other - Cathedral Heritage Found ‡ Church Angel [list] ‡ Churches, Ky [list] ‡ Council of Churches, Ky ‡ Historic Churches ‡ Ky 411 ‡ Ky Gallery [list] ‡ Switchboard [links] ‡

SPORTS LINKS: Bluegrass St Games ‡ CBS Sportsline ‡ Dix Fork Kennels ‡ E Ky Sports ‡ Facilities ‡ Golf ‡ Horse & Mule Trails ‡ KHSAA ‡ Ky Downs ‡ Ky Fishin ‡ KyRunners ‡ Ky Speedway ‡ Ky Tennis ‡ Ky Wildcats ‡ Lexington Horsemen ‡ Lexington Legends ‡ Louisville Bats ‡ Mtn Bike Assoc ‡ Outdoors in Ky ‡ Racquetball Assn; Ky ‡ Run Walk Jog ‡ Rupp Arena ‡ Soccer Assoc; Ky Youth ‡ Special Olympics, KY ‡ Sports, About Ky ‡ UK Athletics ‡ UofL Sports ‡ Walking Events ‡ Wild Turkey Fed ‡