March 1 is Ohio's birthday! Fun facts about the state, from beer to presidents and planes
Friday marks the 221st birthday of our great state. Although Ohio wasn't officially granted statehood until March 1, 1803, the history of the region began much earlier.
According to the National Archives, Ohio was once part of the Northwest Territory, established in 1787 by Congress. The former territory was also made up of land that would eventually become Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The formation of Ohio, however, began a year later when 48 members of an expedition sponsored by the Ohio Co. settled in the area. These individuals would go on to purchase 1.5 million acres of the Northwest Territory from Congress. After negotiations with Native American tribes in 1795, which allowed for settlement in the eastern and southern parts of the territory, the population of the region began to grow.
By 1803, Ohio became the 17th official state of America.
Here are some fun facts about the Buckeye State in honor of its 221st trip around the sun.
What is the oldest city in Ohio?
Marietta is the oldest city in the state of Ohio. The city was established in 1788 by the 48 members of the Ohio Co. expedition. Known as the Riverboat Town, Marietta is also the first official American settlement north and west of the Ohio River.
What is Ohio's state motto?
The official Ohio state motto is, "With God, all things are possible." The motto was created in 1958 by Jimmy Mastronardo, a 10-year-old from Cincinnati's Hartwell neighborhood. Mastronardo reportedly wrote a letter to the editor in The Cincinnati Enquirer suggesting the phrase.
"I am very proud of my state and think it should have a state motto like the other 47 states, " he wrote.
He then testified at the Ohio Statehouse, registered as an official lobbyist and gathered 18,000 signatures, according to a 1998 Enquirer article. Ohio lawmakers approved the motto in 1959.
But what about Ohio's official flower, beverage, animal and other state icons and symbols? Here's a look.
More state symbols of Ohio
State flower: Scarlet carnation.
State beverage: Tomato juice.
State flag: Ohio burgee.
State bird: Cardinal.
State reptile: Black racer.
State animal: White-tailed deer.
State amphibian: Spotted salamander.
State pet: Shelter pet.
State tree: Buckeye.
State artifact: Adena pipe.
State native fruit: Pawpaw.
State song: “Beautiful Ohio.”
State rock song: “Hang on Sloopy.”
What is the population of Ohio?
According to the United States Census Bureau, the estimated population of Ohio was 11,785,935 on July 1, 2023.
7 presidents were born in Ohio
Seven U.S. presidents were born in the great state of Ohio: James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley and William Howard Taft.
Ohio ranks second behind Virginia for the most amount of presidents born in a state, hence the nickname the Birthplace of Presidents.
Four of the former commanders-in-chief − Grant, Hayes, Harrison and Taft − also have ties to Cincinnati.
There's a Cincinnati Brewery named after Ohio's birthday
Did you know there's a Cincinnati brewery and distillery named after the month and day Ohio was founded? March First Brewing, which has locations in Blue Ash and downtown Cincinnati, was founded March 1, 2016, on the 215th anniversary of Ohio's statehood.
March First, which also owns Cincinnati Distilling, specializes in craft beer, seltzer, cider and spirits.
The first person to walk on the moon was from Ohio
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person in history to walk on the moon. Armstrong, a Navy pilot, was born on Aug. 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, less than 60 miles from the Wright brothers’ workshop in Dayton, per the History Channel.
The first interracial, coeducational college is in Ohio
Oberlin College, a private liberal arts college located approximately 30 miles southeast of Cleveland, was the first university in the U.S. to implement an official policy allowing for the admittance of female and Black students. According to its website, Oberlin has been coeducational since its founding in 1833 and began accepting Black students as early as 1835.
George B. Vashon was the first Black student to earn a bachelor’s degree from the college in 1844. Mary Jane Patterson was the first Black woman to earn a bachelor’s degree from an American college, having competed her studies at Oberlin in 1862.
The Ohio state flag is one of a kind
The state of Ohio might've been established in 1803, but it would take nearly a century for the state to get it's own flag. Ohio’s flag was designed by John Eisenmann, an architect and designer for the Ohio State Pan-American Exposition Commission, and was adopted on May 9, 1902.
The flag features a swallow-tailed burgee, and is the only state to have this unique configuration instead of the regular rectangle shape.
Ohio was the real birthplace of aviation
North Carolina likes to claim it was first in flight, but Orville and Wilbur Wright, brothers credited with inventing the airplane, designed and improved their machines in their hometown of Dayton. They chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to test their planes because they needed a wide-open space with steady wind.
10 famous Ohio-born celebrities
Here's a list of the 10 celebrities born in Ohio:
LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist (Akron).
Paul Newman, an Oscar-winning actor and director known for the films "The Hustler" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (Shaker Heights).
John Legend, an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony-winning singer, songwriter and actor (Springfield).
Halle Berry, the first and only Black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress for the film "Monster's Ball" (Cleveland).
Travis Kelce, a two-time Super Bowl champion (Westlake).
Steven Spielberg, a three-time Oscar-winning director known for the films "Schindler's List," "E.T. the Extraterrestrial" and "Jaws" (Cincinnati).
Dean Martin, a singer, actor, comedian and television host (Stuebenville).
Doris Day, a Grammy and Oscar-nominated singer and actor (Cincinnati).
Sarah Jessica Parker, an actor and producer known for her role in the HBO series "Sex and the City" (Nelsonville).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Celebrate Ohio's 221st birthday with these interesting facts
