(WYTV)- Did you know that 48 percent of Americans…almost half of us….live within 600 miles of Columbus.
Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City are less than a day’s drive away.
Columbus wasn’t always the capital of Ohio. When Ohio became a state in 1803, Columbus didn’t exist.
Chillicothe was the original state capital, then Zanesville, then Chillicothe again…and finally Columbus, built to be the permanent capitol. The first Wendy’s was in Columbus, on East Broad Street in November, 1969.
Columbus is also White Castle’s headquarters. Columbus almost had a different name, Ohio City.
The Ohio History Center in Columbus has a two headed calf, stuffed and mounted for display.
The city’s hockey team is the Columbus Blue Jackets, picked in a name the team contest.
Blue Jackets comes from the Civil War.
Columbus manufactured thousands of blue uniforms for Union troops. Ohio also provided more soldiers to the Union Army than any other state.
The first woman to fly solo around the world was from Columbus, Jerrie Mock, in her plane the “Spirit of Columbus,” March, 1964. She left from and retuned to the Port Columbus Airport, taking 29 days.
Columbus was home to the world’s oldest captive gorilla, 61 years old, she died in 2017.
