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PAGE 431 Woo WOO
Denver International Airport is the largest airport in the country in terms of land area. It’s so huge that the four busiest airports in the US (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) could fit into Denver Airport’s 53-square miles of land.
There were originally three different towns with three different names where Denver stands today.
Topeka was the home of the first million dollar high school. Topeka HS opened in 1931
Topeka is home to the Santa Fe Railroad founded by Cyrus Holiday.
Topeka is home of Margaret Hill McCarter, the first woman to speak at a national political convention, the Republican convention in 1920.
Topeka is the home of Alfred Neuman long recognized as the logo character for Mad Magazine. Based on a Topeka DDS who advertised he offered painless dentistry.
Topeka is home of Brown vs Board of Education which ended segregation in the schools.
Charles Curtis, the only Native American to serve as a vice president. He served under Herbert Hoover from 1929–1933.
Menninger foundation started in Topeka in 1925. World famous for its work in mental health.
Washburn University is the only municipally owned university in the country.
Lake Shawnee has the only fully staked 400 meter dash rowing course in the world.
Lindsay Lohan’s dad once jumped off the third story balcony of the Tahitian Inn to escape the cops
Back in 2011, Lindsay Lohan’s dad, Michael, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after an incident involving his then girlfriend Kate Major. Lohan was let out on bail a few days later, but quickly violated terms of his release by visiting Major at the Tahitian Inn in South Tampa. When the police arrived, Lohan launched himself from the third floor balcony to avoid rearrest. “I’m an idiot,” he said while getting into a TPD squad car.
The “You know I had to do it to em” meme is originally from Tampa
One of the best meme’s of 2014 was when Twitter user LuckyLuciano17k posted a photo of himself with an incredible ankle tan and the caption “You know I had to do it to em.” The photo has since spawned many variations and jokes. But sadly, last year, Lucky was arrested on alleged drug possession charges.
Elvis played Tampa once, and that famous “tonsil” photo was shot at the show
July 31, 1955, Elvis Presley made his second-ever appearance at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory right here in Tampa. Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, hired local photographer William V. “Red” Roberton to photograph the performance. One of the photos taken that night would go on to be one of the most recognizable and iconic pictures ever taken of the rock idol. Often referred to as the “tonsil” photo, the famous picture of Presley onstage singing, mouth agape and eyes shut, was used as the front cover photo for his very first, self-titled, full-length album for RCA Records in 1956.
Tampa’s “Beercan Building” is the only round tower in the city, and was built by famous architect Harry Wolf
Tampa's only round tower, the Rivergate Tower, was built in 1988 by world-renowned architect Harry Wolf, and it was designed using the Fibonacci sequence, where every number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. Each tile in the floor and each window pane get progressively bigger. None of that was changed in the remodeling.
It took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32 seasons to return a kickoff for a touchdown
After 32 years, it had to happen eventually, right? Well, in 2007 it did. Micheal Spurlock took one to the house for 90 yards from a kick by Falcons kicker Morten Anderson (holy throwback). The first punt return for a TD took place 13 years previously, which was taken back by Vernon Turner for 80 yards.
That giant house on the end of Harbour Island is owned by the former head of Strayer University
Ronald Bailey sold his stakes in the online college juggernaut Strayer University in 2000, and now he resides in this giant house on the southern tip of Harbour Island. If you’re unfamiliar with Bailey, he’s also authored a number of books on how climate change is a hoax. If you’re unfamiliar with Strayer University, according to a 2014 study from the Brookings Institute, the for-profit school holds $8 billion of student debt, which is the fifth largest in the country. At this point, we’re open to renaming this section of the island “Grifter's Point.”
Bishop Bullwinkle, the “Hell to the Naw Naw” guy, was from Tampa
Bernard Thomas, also known as Bishop Bullwinkle, was responsible for the viral hit Hell to the Naw Naw.” and he was also born in Tampa. Unfortunately, Thomas passed away earlier this year at the age of 70 from complications with a heart attack.
GG Allin performed at Harbor Club, and spent the next couple days shooting heroin in Ybor
The site of this show is debatable, but most accounts place it at the Harbor Club in Sulphur Springs, and video of the 1989 performance is textbook GG Allin, thanks to his nearly nonexistent shorts and give-no-fucks, sloppy punk performance. Some showgoers say he spent the next few days holed up in an Ybor City venue behind what’s now Crowbar shooting heroin. The anti-authority icon would die four years later from an overdose.
Surprisingly, the temperature in Tampa has never hit over 100 degrees
As unlikely as it seems, 100 degrees Fahrenheit has never been reached here in the Tampa. Though it may be humid as hell, and we all are very miserable because of it, the actual temperature has never hit triple digits. Still, doesn’t mean you can’t complain about how it’s so bloody hot all the time.
Rapper Shock G is from Tampa and he studied music theory at HCC
The man behind Tupac’s “I Get Around” and “The Humpty Dance,” which is arguably the popular wedding reception song of all time is actually a Tampa native, and he studied music theory at Hillsborough Community College.
Tampa put a parking garage on a literal Native American burial site
Parking in Tampa is gonna be the death of us, and death was found in 1980 when construction workers accidentally dug up the remains from soldiers and Native Americans while building the Fort Brooke Parking Garage. It has since been developed into a museum exhibit at Tampa Bay History Center.
Babe Ruth hit his longest homerun ever in Tampa
Babe Ruth’s longest dinger took place in 1919 at a spring training game at Plant Field in Tampa (located at what is now the University of Tampa’s business school), and there’s even a marker for where the home run landed. It was (supposedly) 587 feet, which is pretty ridiculous for a guy whose diet comprised of hot dogs and beer.
Bayshore is the “world’s longest continuous sidewalk”
Bayshore is known for being where all the rich people live, but it’s also the world’s longest continuous sidewalk. So if you’re looking for a good way to get exercise without crossing streets, just walk up and down Bayshore.
Tampa sold more illegal booze than anywhere else in the country during prohibition
People have been getting drunk and doing stupid shit in Tampa for quite some time, and we were doing it more than anywhere else in America during prohibition. In fact, at one local restaurant, El Pasajé (which is now a historical site and hotel), they even stashed alcohol in the walls to hide from the police. So be proud the next time you get blackout drunk in Ybor, you’re continuing the tradition. Glad the city’s known for such great deeds.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge spans three counties
While not necessarily a “useless fact,” most people aren’t aware that the area’s most famous bridge actually touches three counties: Pinellas, Manatee, and Hillsborough. How is this even possible? Well, Hillsborough County is responsible for the massive shipping channel directly under the middle of the bridge. What’s wild is that Egmont Key, which is located at the mouth of Tampa Bay, is also in Hillsborough County.
The world’s first scheduled passenger flight flew from St. Pete to Tampa in 1914
Tired of driving across the Howard Franklin and the Gandy? Yeah, we are too. But in 1914 the world’s first scheduled passenger flight made the trip, flown by Tony Jannus. Tickets were only $5, too. So you can think about that when you’re sitting on I-275 during rush hour.
Tampa ships more fertilizer than anything else
It may sound like a load of crap (sorry, obligatory manure joke), but fertilizer is Tampa Bay’s biggest export. There’s something to be proud of as a citizen of Tampa, in case you’re running low on ideas. It’s also the state’s largest port.
Jose Marti Park in Ybor City actually belongs to Cuba
The tiny square in Ybor was given to Cuba in 1956 (three years before Cuba became a communist state for those counting), and even survived the Cold War and all that crazy stuff to remain a part of Cuba, right here in Tampa.