2. By: Alexis Redshaw

3. John Vincent Atanasoff was a scientist at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. He wanted to invent a machine that could figure hard math problems. At a table in a small café Atanasoff worked out some ideas to create the modern computer. The university gave him a little money and an assistant, Clifford Berry. In early trial runs the small computer worked, so they went on to the full scale model. When World War 2 started the men left Ames to get government jobs. In the 1950’s other inventors (wanting to invent the computer) saw what John and Clifford had done. They had basically created the modern day computer!

4. The Blue Bunny Factory is located in Lemars,IA. The company was founded in 1913. The factory produces 100 million gallons of ice cream a year. It produces more ice cream than any other company in the world! AWESOME!

5. Corn is one of Iowa’s main crops. Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan produce 50% of corn grown in the U.S. Corn is grown in every continent except Antarctica. The Corn Belt” includes the states Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, and Kentucky. “

6. Des Moines is the capital of Iowa. The city was founded in 1843, but became Iowa’s state capital in 1851. It was named after the Des Moines River. Des Moines was originally called “Fort Des Moines”, but it changed to “Des Moines” in 1857.

7. The Effigy Mounds are located in Allamakee/Clayton county in Iowa. An effigy mound is a raised pile of earth built into the shape of animals, symbols, religious figure, or human figure. Effigy Mounds were built in the Late Woodland Period (AD 350-1300).

8. Iowa’s state flower is the Wild Rose. It became the state flower in 1897. The Wild Rose grows from June to late summer. The flower’s petals are varying shades of pink with yellow stamen in the middle. The Wild Rose has been around for around 35 million years. It grows naturally throughout North America. The flower’s petals and rose hips can be eaten and have been used in medicines since ancient times.

9. Geodes are Iowa’s state rock. The outer part of a geode is usually limestone and the inside is usually crystal and/or chalcedony deposits. Some geodes can be completely filled with crystal, being solid all the way through.

10. Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch,IA. He was the 31 st president of the United States. Herbert Hoover was the first president to live west of the Mississippi and is still the only Iowan president.

11. The Iowa Hawkeyes are the team that represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The team participates in Division 1 in the NCAA and are members of the Big Ten Conference. Their current football coach is Kirk Ferentz.

12. John Wayne was born in Winterset,IA. In over 50 years and 200 films John became the greatest figure of the American art, western. He won an Oscar in 1964 for best actor in the movie “True Grit”.

13. MacKinlay Kantor was born and raised in Webster City, IA. He was a journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. Kantor has written more than 30 novels and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1956. Neat!

14. Cloris Leachmen was born in Des Moines,IA. Leachmen has acted in many films like: Young Frankenstein, and Texasville. She has also acted in television shows like: Malcolm in the Middle, and Phyllis. Leachmen has won 8 Primetime Emmy awards (more than any actor), 1 Daytime Emmy award, and 1 Academy award.

15. Mary Jane Odell’s family has lived in Iowa for generations. Mary Jane won the Emmy for outstanding individual achievement, twice. When she was a teenager she was voted Miss Merry Christmas. Mary Jane was also the first women to be elected secretary of state.

16. Norman Borlaug from age 7 to 19 lived on a farm in west Protivin,IA. Borlaug was an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate. He was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of freedom, Congressional Gold Medal, and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s 2 nd highest civilian honor.

17. Iowa’s state tree is the Oak tree. It became the official state tree in 1961. The Oak tree was chosen because it provides shelter, food, and nesting for wildlife. Its is hard to find a natural woodland in Iowa without one type of Oak in it.

18. The television show “American Pickers” stars Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. They go around the country “picking” antiques and collectibles out of peoples barns, sheds, you name it. Mike and Frank then sell the items they bought at their store in Le Clair,IA. The show runs on the History Channel.

19. The Quaker Oats Company was founded in 1901, and is located in Cedar Rapids, IA. The company makes $10,081,972,025 a year! The “Quaker Man” is not a real person but a representation of a “man dressed in Quaker garb”. The “Quaker Man” has also been mistaken as Benjamin Franklin.

20. Ragbrai stands for Register's Annual Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is a non- competitive bike ride across Iowa that draws riders for across the U.S. and overseas. They ride from and Iowan community on Iowa’s western border to another community on Iowa’s eastern border. WOW! I didn’t know that!

21. Shawn Johnson was born in Des Moines, IA. Miss Johnson competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. She won 1 gold, and 2 silver medals. In 2009 Shawn won “Dancing with the Stars” with her partner Mark Ballas.

22. Beaconsfield is the smallest town in Iowa. Its population is a whopping eleven and is located in Ringgold County.

23. The University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, and was established February 2, 1847. The University of Iowa (U of I) is the oldest university in the state. Its mascot is Herky the Hawkeye. (See picture of Herky on slide letter I.)

24. Abigail Van Buren had never written professionally until one day she contacted the the “San Francisco Chronicle” saying that she could write a better advice column than the one that was currently in the paper. She and the editor exchanged a few letters and she got interviewed. Since she was “Abigail Van Buren” she became “Abby”. The column became a instant success. Abigail’s twin sister, Esther Pauline, also became an advice columnist writing as Ann Landers. When Van Buren’s health declined her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, took over the advice column.

25. In 1849 Wyatt Earp and his family settled in Pella, IA. Wyatt is known for his gunfight at the O.K. Corral along with Doc Holliday and two of his brothers, Vigil and Morgan Earp. In the 30sec. gunfight they killed 3 cowboys whom they had been fighting with for months. Today Wyatt’s reputation in the “Old West” is the “toughest and deadliest gunman of his day”.

26. The Xenia Rural Water District provides water to members part of eleven counties west and northwest of Des Moines. The District owns six wastewater lagoons and one active wastewater facility.

27. The Yucca plant is found in western Iowa, along the Missouri River. It lives in Iowa’s prairies where there is rich, fertile soil. WHOA!

28. The Blank Park Zoo is the only accredited zoo in Iowa. It is located in Des Moines and is home to over 800 creatures. Cool!