Information and history of the state of Tennessee

First visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540, the Tennessee area would later be claimed by both France and England. Great Britain obtained the area after the French and Indian Wars in 1763.

Tennessee was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796 as the 16th state.

Tennessee's major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. Poultry, soybeans, and cattle are the state's primary agricultural products, and major manufacturing exports include chemicals, transportation equipment, and electrical equipment.

Some Tennessee Symbols

1. State Bird	2. State Fruit	3. State Flower	4. State Fish	5. State Insect
6. State Tree	7. State Reptile	8. State Gem	9. State Stone	10. State Animal

1. Mockingbird - Tennessee selected the mockingbird as official state bird in 1933, selected from an election conducted by the Tennessee Ornithological Society.
2. Tomato - The tomato was designated the official state fruit of Tennessee in 2003.
3. Iris - Tennessee recognized the iris as the state cultivated flower in 1933. The iris flower comes in a variety of colors, but the purple iris is commonly accepted as the state flower of Tennessee.
4. Smallmouth Bass - Tennessee designated the smallmouth bass as official state game fish in 2005.
5. Firefly - The firefly was designated the official state insect of Tennessee in 1975.
6. Tulip Poplar - The tulip poplar was officially recognized as the state tree of Tennessee in 1947.
7. Eastern Box Turtle - The Eastern box turtle was designated the official state reptile of Tennessee in 1995.
8. Tennessee River Pearl - Tennessee river pearls were designated the state gem of Tennessee in 1979.
9. Agate - Agate was adopted as the state stone of Tennessee in 1969.
10. Raccoon - The raccoon was adopted as Tennessee's wild animal symbol in 1971.

Did you know?

• Andrew Johnson held every elective office at the local, state, and federal level, including President of the United States. He was elected alderman, mayor, state representative, and state senator from Greeneville. He served as governor and military governor of Tennessee and United States congressman, senator, and vice president, becoming President of the United States following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
• Tennessee was the last state to secede from the Union during the Civil War and the first state to be readmitted after the war.
• A replica of The Parthenon, the famous ancient Greek building in Athens, Greece, stands in Nashville's Centennial Park.
• Elvis Presley's home called Graceland is located in Memphis. Graceland is the second most visited house in the country.
• The only person in American history to be both an Admiral in the Navy and a General in the Army was Samuel Powhatan Carter who was born in Elizabethton.
• Nashville's Grand Ole Opry is the longest continuously running live radio program in the world. It has broadcast every Friday and Saturday night since 1925.
• Bristol is known as the Birthplace of Country Music.