Didn’t y’all know?

Although I was not born and bred here, in the past 4 years or so I have come to love the darling little state of Georgia. I came here on January 22nd of 2017. I have lived in a few different and diverse cities since then such as Waco and Tallapoosa before finally settling down in Cedartown. A small, tight-knit town full of churches, community centers, and charm.

In the spirit of falling in love with this place, I have taken the time to learn as much about Georgia as I possibly can. And so, I would like to share them with you guys. Let's begin by counting them down:

1. Georgia is the peach state.

It’s true! The term is known as a nickname for the state but in reality, peaches have been in their history long before Georgia was made an independent United State. In the 16th Century, they were introduced to St. Simon and the Cumberland Island, Cherokee Indians grew them here in the 18th century and famous planter Raphael Moses began marketing them in 1851 and gets all the credit for being the first person to successfully market them outside of the South. Production increased after the Civil War ended when farmers were looking for a cheaper alternative to cotton. They were so successful in that regard that the state earned its nickname “the peach state”.

2. Georgia is home to the world’s largest aquarium.

The Georgia Aquarium located in Atlanta is the record holder for being the largest aquarium in the world! It houses more than 100,000 aquatic animals in over 10 million gallons of water. The animals include Australian sea dragons, Japanese Spider Crabs, California Sea Lions, Albino Alligators, Piranhas, and Emerald Tree boas. The venue is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state because of its size, diversity of creatures, and aesthetically-pleasing enclosures.

3. Coke was born in Georgia.

Okay, not literally gave birth to it, but was the starting point of the carbonated beverage that is on every shelf and available in every store, Coke-a-Cola! Invented by American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in 1886 at a Columbus drugstore. He combined cocaine sugary syrups and various secret ingredients into a drink that was cost-effective, yet addictive, and thus the company Coke-a-Cola was born. In 1899 Coke was made in bottles for the first time to satisfy the demand for readily available beverages on the go as opposed to soda fountains. The headquarters is located in Atlanta and one can also visit the World of Coke-a-Cola in which 100 different flavors of Coke can be sampled.

4. Georgia was the first state to change the voting age from 21 to 18.

In a crazy turn of events, Amendment 6, also known as The Georgia Age Requirements for Voting Amendment, was a ballot presented in 1943 to make it legal for any American citizen of 18 years or older to vote as opposed to 21 years of age. It was approved and by 1945 anyone who was old enough to fight in a war was old enough to vote for their country. Making Georgia the first United state to do so.

5. Georgia was the first state to charter a university.

That’s right! The University of Georgia was the first of its kind when roughly 40,000 acres of land were endowed by the General Assembly to create a college or seminary of higher education in 1784. After much deliberation, and an act of the aforementioned General Assembly, the school was incorporated by January 27th, 1785. Officially the first state-funded institution, but not the last. Georgia was also home to Wesleyan College, the first school to ever award degrees to women.

On a final note, I want to thank anyone who joined me on this long and crazy ride through the fun and historically accurate facts about this endearing little state of mine. Hopefully, all of this was fun and informative to those who were curious about the sweet tea drinking, peach growing, Bulldog rearing bundle of joy that is Georgia. Until next time, keep on searching for the answers to all of life’s questions.