Thursday marks Kansas Day, the 148th anniversary of our state being admitted to the union.

Sure, you live here. You hear all the jokes about Kansas being flat, about cowtowns and about being swept up in a tornado on your way to Oz.

But how well do you know your state — the REAL state? Test your knowledge with this Kansas Day quiz.

1. Which silent film star was born in Piqua, Kan.?

A. Charlie Chaplain

B. Buster Keaton

C. Lon Chaney

D. Tom Mix

2. A hill near Salina is named for which Spanish explorer thought to have reached that point in his travels?

A. Zebulon Pike

B. Henry Hudson

C. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

D. Francisco Pizarro

3. Which Kansas city hosts the National Junior College Athletic Association’s men’s basketball tournament?

A. Hutchinson

B. Salina

C. Wichita

D. Hays

4. What are the state’s three largest cities, in order (according to the latest Census estimates)?

A. Topeka, Wichita, Overland Park

B. Wichita, Topeka, Overland Park

C. Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City

D. Olathe, Wichita, Kansas City

5. Which city is closest to the geographical center of the state?

A. Great Bend

B. Hays

C. Salina

D. Russell

6. Which of these entertainers is NOT from Kansas?

A. Kirstie Alley

B. Stan Kenton

C. Conway Twitty

D. Hattie McDaniel

7. What Kansas town was the boyhood home of two U.S. senators?

A. Ellsworth

B. Independence

C. Russell

D. Garden City

8. Which city is home to a giant easel holding a version of a Van Gogh painting of sunflowers?

A. Olathe

B. Oberlin

C. Arkansas City

D. Goodland

9. Which Hall of Fame baseball pitcher was born in Humboldt?

A. Walter Johnson

B. Tom Seaver

C. Nolan Ryan

D. Cy Young

10. Which city, near present-day Fort Riley, served as the first territorial capital of Kansas?

A. Manhattan

B. Junction City

C. Pawnee

D. Milford

11. According to the 2000 census, where did Kansas rank among U.S. states, in terms of population?

A. 15th

B. 25th

C. 32nd

D. 45th

12. The founder of which major automaker grew up in Wamego and Ellis?

A. Chrysler Corporation

B. Ford Motor Company

C. General Motors

D. Honda

13. Which playwright has a film festival named for him in Independence?

A. Gordon Parks

B. Thornton Wilder

C. Samuel Beckett

D. William Inge

14. Who did NOT serve as a lawman in Dodge City?

A. Wyatt Earp

B. Bat Masterson

C. Bill Tilghman

D. Butch Cassidy

15. According to the Kansas Energy Council, what percentage of the state’s land is used for farming, livestock or wildlife habitat?

A. 45 percent

B. 57 percent

C. 79 percent

D. 94 percent

Answers: 1-B; 2-C; 3-A; 4-C; 5-A; 6-C; 7-C; 8-D; 9-A; 10-C; 11-C; 12-A; 13-D; 14-D; 15-D.