Answers to the License Plate Challenge, Part 1

• Iowa's nickname is the Hawkeye State. There is disagreement about whether the name honors a real person or a book character. 
• Texas is called the Lone Star State. The state flag, adopted after Texas became independent in 1836, features a single star.  
• Missouri is known as the Show-Me State. There are several possible explanations for its origin, but now it is considered to represent the "stalwart, conservative, noncredulous character of Missourians."

• Sports are a big deal in Chicago, the largest city in Illinois. The city has two Major League Baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox. 
• Denver, the capital of Colorado, is located exactly one mile above sea level. This gives it the nickname of the Mile High City. 
• Utah is known as the Beehive State not because of their high honey production (the state is ranked 24th of 50) but because bees are known for their hard work.

• Washington is the only state named for a president. Specifically, it is named for the 1st president, George Washington. 
• Oklahoma is known as the Sooner State. In 1889, the US government opened up 2 million acres of Unassigned Lands within Indian Territory for settlement. The people raced in to claim land before the official start time were called Sooners. 
• Arizona is the Grand Canyon State. Last year, the Grand Canyon was the 3rd most visited of the nation's 63 national parks. 

• Alabama has used Sweet Home Alabama on license plates and in tourism campaigns. It was the title of a 1974 song by Lynryd Skynryd. 
• The slogan Virginia is for Lovers was first used by the state for a marketing campaign in 1969. Originally, there were going to be different campaigns (Virginia is for Beach Lovers, Virginia is for History Lovers, etc) before they eventually settled on the now-iconic phrase. 
• Montana is known as the Big Sky State or Big Sky Country, due to its large open spaces and big, blue skies. 

• Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State. During the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, the number of Tennessee residents who volunteered for military service was significantly higher than how many were requested.  
• Mississippi is the Magnolia State. The magnolia is the state flower and the state tree and is a big part of the natural and cultural landscape of Mississippi. 
• In 1992, South Dakota officially adopted the nickname The Mount Rushmore State. About 3 million visitors come to South Dakota each year to see Mount Rushmore. 

• More than one state has a famous bay, but Massachusetts is The Bay State. It has shores on Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay and Narragansett Bay.
• The Everglades is a large natural region of flooded grasslands within the state of Florida. Everglades National Park protects the southernmost 20% of the original Everglades.