Fact 1: Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement
Georgia was one of the main stages of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Its capital, Atlanta, is the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the movement's most recognizable figure. To this day, you can still visit his childhood home and the church where he preached.
Fact 2: Coca-Cola Was Invented Here
The internationally recognized soft drink, Coca-Cola, was originally invented in Atlanta, Georgia, by pharmacist Dr. John Stith Pemberton in 1886. Today, visitors can learn more about the history and growth of this enormous brand at the World of Coca-Cola Museum in downtown Atlanta.
Fact 3: The Vidalia Onion Capital of the World
Georgia is known as the Vidalia onion capital of the world. These onions are particularly sweet, thanks to the low sulfur content in Georgia’s soil. They were even declared the official state vegetable in 1990.
Fact 4: One of the Original 13 Colonies
Being one of the original thirteen colonies, Georgia is the last of the original Thirteen Colonies established by England. Founded in 1733 by James E. Oglethorpe, Georgia was named after England’s King George II.
Fact 5: Start of the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail, which is a mountainous hiking path that spans over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine, begins in Georgia at Springer Mountain. Every year, thousands of backpackers start their northbound trek from this point.
Fact 6: Georgia's Famous Peanuts
Georgia is the largest producer of peanuts in the United States, cranking out 53 percent of the country's entire crop. Not only that, but former U.S. president Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer in Plains, Georgia, before entering politics.
Fact 7: Famous Music Artists
Many notable musicians such as James Brown, Ray Charles, REM and Ludacris all hail from Georgia. The state's unique blend of soul, country, blues and rock music is showcased in festivals throughout the year.
Fact 8: A "Peachy" State
Peaches are a symbol of Georgia, dominating everything from street names to the state fruit. Even though Georgia isn’t the biggest peach-producing state (It's California), it leads in quality with some of the juiciest peaches worldwide.
Fact 9: Stone Mountain's Massive Carving
Stone Mountain, Georgia, is home to the world's largest bas-relief sculpture — the Confederate Memorial Carving. It depicts three Confederate leaders of the Civil War, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson, and is larger than a football field.
Fact 10: Georgia's World Record Breaking Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and the third-largest worldwide. It was once the largest overall until it was surpassed by Singapore's S.E.A Aquarium in 2012.
Fact 11: Surprisingly, Not All Georgian Soil is Red
Georgia’s famous red clay is widely used in potteries due to its high iron content. However, not all Georgian soil is red. A strip running the length of the Coastal Plain, from the state’s southeast to southwest corner, is known as Georgia’s “sandhill region”, where the soil is sandy and lighter in color.
Fact 12: Chicken Capital of the World
Gainesville, Georgia, is known as the Chicken Capital of the World because of its large poultry processing industry. It's even illegal to eat chicken with anything other than your fingers in Gainesville.
Fact 13: Unknown Confederate Soldiers' Cemetery
In Marietta, there is a large cemetery for unknown Confederate soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War, with approximately 3,000 soldiers buried there.
Fact 14: The Oldest City
Savannah, established in 1733, is the oldest city in Georgia. With its well-preserved architecture and verdant town squares, Savannah is a beautiful glimpse into history.
Fact 15: Tybee Island's Strange Law
Tybee Island has a strange law: it’s illegal to tie a giraffe to either a street lamp or a telephone pole. While it might seem irrelevant, bizarre laws like these can often be found in old city statutes.
Fact 16: Georgia's Beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains
Georgia is home to a portion of the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. The Blue Ridge gets its name from the blue color observed from a distance due to the absorption of light by the atmosphere and the isoprene released from the dense vegetation.
Fact 17: Atlanta - The City in the Forest
An interesting fact about Atlanta, Georgia, is that it's also known as the "city in the forest." Around 50% of Atlanta is covered by trees, which is a significantly larger percentage of tree coverage than the average for U.S cities.
Fact 18: Georgia's Golden Isles
Georgia is home to the Golden Isles, a group of four barrier islands - St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island - and the mainland city of Brunswick. Named after the golden-sand beaches lining the coast, these islands offer a unique mix of wildlife, history, and southern hospitality.
Fact 19: Georgia, A Top Filming Location
Movies like "Gone with the Wind," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "The Walking Dead" were filmed in Georgia. In recent years, Georgia has become one of the top locations for filming due to its tax benefits for filmmakers.
Fact 20: Location of the Largest Drive-In Restaurant
The Varsity, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the world's largest drive-in restaurant. Opened in 1928, it can accommodate 600 cars and over 800 diners inside. The restaurant is especially known for its hotdogs and burgers.