North Carolina, the Tar Heel State, is famous for many things, from sports to food to music and everything in between. A true North Carolinian knows that our state is the homestate of Andy Griffith, that the first successful flight by man took place at Kitty Hawk by the Wright Brothers and that North Carolina is home to the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell. However, there are some Tar Heel tidbits only a few residents of our state know. These facts are just as impressive as the more well-known ones and deserve just as much attention. Have you heard any of the Tar Heel tidbits below? Only a true North Carolinian would know these facts…until now. 

1. The Old North State is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the United States. 
2. We also lead the country in production of furniture, tobacco, brick and textiles. 
3. Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914. 
4. The first Putt-Putt golf course was also built in Fayetteville in 1954 by Don Clayton.
5. Many people think gold was first found in the United States out west, but actually, the first nugget of gold was discovered in Cabarrus County in 1799. 
6. North Carolina is named after King Charles I of England. “Carolus” is the Latin word for Charles. 
7. Within our mountains, there are more than 300 waterfalls and 120 species of trees. 
8. Raleigh is currently the capital of North Carolina, but that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, Bath was the first nominal capital. Then, in 1766, New Bern was established as the first permanent capital until 1792 when the move to Raleigh occurred. 
9. Our state motto is “Esse Quam Videri.” This Latin phrase can be translated to “To be rather than to seem.” 
10. It is common knowledge that North Carolina’s state bird is the cardinal and the state flower is the dogwood. However, we also have a state beverage: milk, a state butterfly: the Eastern tiger swallowtail, a state fossil: megalodon teeth, a state gemstone: emerald, a state reptile: Eastern box turtle, and a state shell: the Scotch Bonnet. 
11. The first state art museum in the United States was built in Raleigh. 
12. Vick’s VapoRub was developed in 1905 and first sold in Greensboro by the Richardson-Vicks brand. 
13. During the Revolutionary War, Cherokee Native Americans who resided in our state sided with the British. The tribes hoped that they would receive protection from being resettled. 
14. The Outer Banks is allegedly where the pirate Blackbeard died due to the rough storms, thus giving them the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” This nickname comes from the number of storms, dangerous waters and multiple shipwrecks that happen off the coast. 
15. Speaking of the Outer Banks, did you know residents have their own dialect? The High Tider dialect or the Hoi Toider is spoken in this region, as well as the Pamlico Sound. It is a version of English with a twang of the Southwestern England dialect added in. 
16. The highest number of breweries per capita of the southern states comes from North Carolina. Within our state, there are more than 140 breweries and brewpubs and 159 wineries. Today, the Yadkin Valley is a major wine destination. Yet, by the time the Civil War broke out in America, North Carolina already had 25 wineries open. 
17. We are the “Moonshine Capital of the World,” thanks to the citizens of Wilkes County during Prohibition. During this time, people in Wilkes County produced and sold illegal alcohol. In order to sell their productions, they had to outrun local and federal law enforcement, causing them to modify their vehicles for faster speed. These modifications soon gave birth to stock-car racing and NASCAR. 
18. Lastly, North Carolina was the first state to declare independence from England, not Rhode Island as it is commonly thought. With the Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775, the Tar Heel State proclaimed independence from Great Britain. 

The Tar Heel State is a favorite among many people. The area offers the best of both worlds – the mountains, the coast and everything in between. Just like the richness of our land, North Carolina is full of history that continues to expand with each passing day. The list of Tar Heel tidbits is always ever growing.