Sunflower State savvy

Kansas has 2.7 million residents, 83,000 square miles and 147 years of history.

That’s a lot of people, space and time for you to know about your home state.

So today, as Kansas celebrates its birthday, here are questions to test how much random trivia you know about your state. Answers are found at the bottom of this story.

History

1. What does the name “Kansas” mean?

2. Which number of state to enter the union was Kansas?

3. A particular type of gas was discovered in a Kansas University laboratory. What was that gas?

4. Which famed Spanish explorer traveled as far north as Kansas?

5. Which Kansan lost the 1936 presidential election?

6. What aviation vehicle did Rex Maneval of Centralia invent?

Land & Geography

7. How many cities in the state are larger than Lawrence?

8. Which Kansas geologic feature runs from north of Manhattan to near Winfield?

9. True or false: Kansas’ boundaries include the geographical center of the 50 states.

10. What is the only Kansas county named for a woman?

11. Which is the largest lake in Kansas?

12. True or false: One-fifth of all wheat grown in the United States comes from Kansas.

13. Mennonites from which country introduced hard red winter wheat to Kansas?

Landmarks & Attractions

14. Who designed the Kansas Statehouse? (Hint: He also designed several buildings in Lawrence, including the Douglas County Courthouse).

15. In what Kansas city can you find the Oz Museum?

16. Original copies of Hollywood movies and government documents are kept in Hutchinson. Where, specifically, are they housed?

17. An earthwork devoted to which Kansas aviator is found in Atchison?

People

18. What city is both home to Rock City and was the boyhood home of George Washington Carver?

19. Susanna Madora Salter of Argonia was the first of her kind in the history of local U.S. governments. What did she do?

20. Where is President Dwight D. Eisenhower buried?

21. “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” is a recent book by Thomas Frank. Who originally coined the phrase?

22. Dr. John Brinkley, who was from Milford, claimed he could cure fertility problems in men by implanting what in them?

23. Two U.S. senators were born in Russell – Bob Dole was one of them. Who was the other?

Sports

24. What Hall of Fame pitcher was from Humboldt, in southeastern Kansas?

25. What Kansan was the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team?

26. What small Kansas town’s football team is undefeated for the past four years and scored 72 points in one quarter during a game last season?

27. What Wichita-born running back won the Heisman Trophy?

Quirks

28. Cawker City has been in competition with Darwin, Minn., over the decades over what?

29. Larry Farmer of Oakley is looking to sell his roadside attraction along I-70, which claims to contain what?

30. Northeast Kansas is home to two famous dead horses. Name one of them.

31. A gigantic easel and mural in Goodland depicts which famous painting?

Pop Culture

32. What billionaire media mogul owns a buffalo ranch in southwest Kansas?

33. Which pizza chain originated in Wichita?

34. Which “Daily Show with Jon Stewart” reporter is from Overland Park?

35. What fictional superhero was born in Kansas?

The answers

1. “People of the south wind”

2. 34th

3. Helium

4. Coronado

5. Alf Landon

6. Helicopter

7. Five (Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka and Olathe)

8. Flint Hills

9. False (it does contain the center of the 48 contiguous states)

10. Barton County (for Clara Barton)

11. Milford Lake

12. True

13. Russia

14. John G. Haskell

15. Wamego

16. Salt mines

17. Amelia Earhart

18. Minneapolis

19. Was elected mayor

20. Abilene

21. William Allen White

22. Goat glands

23. Arlen Specter

24. Walter Johnson

25. Lynette Woodard

26. Smith Center

27. Barry Sanders

28. Who has the world’s largest ball of twine

29. The world’s largest prairie dog (it’s made of concrete)

30. Comanche (only U.S. government survivor of the Battle of Little Big Horn, found in Lawrence) and Chief (last horse in the U.S. Cavalry, found at Fort Riley)

31. “Sunflowers” by Vincent van Gogh

32. Ted Turner

33. Pizza Hut

34. Rob Riggle

35. Superman (Clark Kent)