Ohio is famous for its status as a swing state during presidential elections and its college football national champions. But there's more to it than that. The Buckeye State has a rich history, and events that occurred there had a huge role in shaping the rest of the nation.
What do you know about Ohio? Here are seven facts about the state's history that may have slipped under your radar:
1. Cradle of Presidents: Seven U.S. presidents were born in Ohio and eight were residents of the state at the time of their election to the White House. That's a higher number than any other state except Virginia.
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2. First Mormon Temple: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was headquartered in Kirtland, Ohio from 1831 to 1838. Mormons built their first temple there in 1836, and it was the only temple built in the lifetime of church founder Joseph Smith. The Kirtland Temple remains in use and is owned by the Community of Christ.
3. Birthplace of Aviation: Kitty Hawk, North Carolina gets credit as the location where the Wright Brothers conducted their first successful flight. Ohio is the birthplace of their ideas. Wilbur and Orville Wright invented their first airplane in Dayton, where they also owned a bicycle shop and built their own brand of bicycle.
4. Baseball Pioneers: Professional baseball got its start in Ohio. The Cincinnati Red Stockings were founded in 1869 as the nation's first pro baseball team. Ten salaried players were on the roster and Cincinnati played from coast to coast. The Red Stockings posted a 57-0 record that year and it remains the only perfect season in pro baseball history.
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5. First Cash Register: James Ritty invented the first mechanical cash register in 1879 to use in his saloon in Dayton. It was modeled on a tool that counted revolutions of propellers on steamships. Ritty patented his invention in 1883 and the cash register began to be widely used in the late 19th century.
6. First Police Car: In 1899, Akron became the first city to use a motorized police car. It was an electric powered buggy equipped with electric lights, gongs, and a stretcher. The police car could reach 18 miles per hour and travel 30 miles before its battery needed to be recharged.
7. Educational Diversity: Oberlin College holds distinction as the first college in the United States to admit female students and black students along with white students. Founded in 1833, Oberlin College admitted its first black student in 1835 and its first female student in 1837.
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