Even a Hoosier isn’t really sure who or what a Hoosier is, but don’t let that stop you from finding out all about “the Crossroads of America.”

1. The Indianapolis Star has the largest printing press in the nation.
2. The Indianapolis Star is housed in a former Nordstrom department store.
3. Legendary adviser Ruth Marie Griggs served as president of JEA.
4. Former newspaper publisher, Nelson Poynter, grew up in Indiana and attended IU. He would go on to found what would become the Poynter Institute.
5. Brian Lamb, who founded C-SPAN is a Purdue University graduate who grew up in Indiana.
6. Five members of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame have connections to scholastic journalism.
7. Indianapolis is the 25th largest media market. The northwest corner of the state is served by the Chicago media market, the third largest in the country.
8. The Society of Professional Journalists calls Indianapolis home.
9. Five Indiana advisers have been named National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year: Mary Benedict, Ruth Marie Griggs, Terry Nelson, Jim Streisel and Tom Gayda.
10. First Amendment champions Dave Adams (IU) and Louis Ingelhart (Ball State) both enjoyed lengthy careers in Indiana.
11. National broadcast journalists who spent time on Indiana media include: Linsey Davis, Charly Arnolt, Mike Barz, Nicole Manske, Sage Steele, Jane Pauley, Meshach Taylor, David Letterman, Emily Gimmel, Aishah Hansie, Sara Snow and Catt Sadler.
12. The Indianapolis Star has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Indiana.
13. Top journalism schools in Indiana include Ball State University, Indiana University and Franklin College.
14. Eight Hoosiers have received a JEA Medal of Merit honor: Mary Benedict, Dick Johns, Jack Dvorak, Marilyn Weaver, Tom Gayda, Kim Green, Nancy Hastings and Brian Hayes.
15. Two H.L. Hall National Yearbook Advisers of the Year were from Indiana: Nancy Hastings and Kim Green.
16. Three schools from Indiana have received the First Amendment Press Freedom award: North Central High School in Indianapolis, Muncie Central High School and Franklin Community High School.
17. Longtime retired Quill & Scroll executive director Dick Johns is from Indiana.
18. Five JEA Carl Towley award winners are from Indiana: Ruth Marie Griggs, Louis Inglehart, Dick Johns, Marilyn Weaver and Jack Dvorak.
19. Four JEA Administrators of the Year are from Indiana: C E Quandt (North Central High School), Jeffry M. Henderson (Bloomington High School North), Evans Branigan III (North Central High School) and Brian Knight (Southport High School).
20. Famous journalists from Indiana include: Ernie Pyle, Jane Pauley, Steve Kroft, Tom French and Frank Reynolds. David Letterman and Kurt Vonnegut are other Hoosiers with journalism ties.
21. Ella Sengenberger, former Arsenal Tech High School adviser, was the first president of the IHSPA.
22. The Indiana High School Press Association, housed at Franklin College, was founded by students in 1922 and is the oldest state scholastic press association in the country.
23. Indiana was home to two national conventions: fall 1990 and fall 2016.
24. Home of the Indianapolis 500.
25. Gary, Indiana is the birthplace of the Jackson 5.
26. The Coca-Cola bottle was invented in Indiana.
27. Hoosiers love a good friend tenderloin sandwich — the bigger the better.
28. There are several unconfirmed stories, but no one knows where the term “Hoosier” comes from.
29. The love of basketball is evident: Indiana has the most “big” high school gyms in the country.
30. The Indianapolis International Airport often tops lists as the best airport in North America.
31. Hamilton County cities like Carmel, Fishers and Zionsville are often considered the best places to live in the U.S.
32. Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indiana.
33. Recent vice presidents Dan Quayle and Mike Pence are both Hoosiers.
34. Indianapolis has the second most monuments, only behind Washington, D.C.
35. Movies that take place entirely or in part in Indiana include: “Hoosiers,” “A League of Their Own,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Rudy” and “Breaking Away.”
36. TV shows that take place in Indiana include: “One Day at a Time,” “Parks & Recreation,” “The Middle,” “Stranger Things,” “Close to Home” and “The Jeff Foxworthy Show.”
37. Letters mailed to Santa Claus end up in the city named for the gift-giver.
38. Santa Claus is home to the nation’s first-ever theme park, now known as Holiday World.
39. The first ever professional baseball game took place in Fort Wayne.
40. Indiana has five minor league baseball teams, but never a major league club.
41. Indianapolis hosted Elvis Presley’s last concert.
42. The cartoon cat, Garfield, was created in Indiana.
43. Parke County has more covered bridges than anywhere else in the world.
44. “A Christmas Story” was based in Indiana.
45. Indianapolis is home to the world’s largest Christmas tree, the Circle of Lights, lit up in downtown Indianapolis.
46. The Raggedy Ann doll originated in Indiana.
47. Fountain City, then known as Newport, is considered the “grand central station” for slaves escaping the South on the Underground Railroad.
48. Indiana produces more than 20 percent of the nation’s popcorn.
49. The first goldfish farm was in Martinsville.
50. The first train robbery took place in Indiana.
51. Indiana means “land of Indians.”
52. The first Europeans to arrive in Indiana were the French.
53. Indiana has more miles of interstate than any other state.
54. Col. Sanders, who founded Kentucky Fried Chicken, is actually from Indiana.
55. Abraham Lincoln moved to Indiana when he was 7 years old.
56. Explorers Lewis and Clark set out from Fort Vincennes on their exploration of the Northwest Territory.
57. Many Mennonite and Amish live on the farmland of Northeastern Indiana.
58. Muncie’s Ball State University was built mostly from funds contributed by the founders of the Ball Corporation, a company than made glass canning jars.
59. Peru Indiana was once known as the “Circus Capital of America.”
60. Before Indianapolis, Corydon served as the state’s capitol from 1816-1825.
61. In 1862, Richard Gatling, of Indianapolis, invented the rapid-fire machine gun.
62. The American Federation of Labor was organized in Terre Haute in 1881.
63. Madame C.J. Walker became one of the nation’s first woman millionaires.
64. The Saturday Evening Post is published in Indianapolis.
65. The Poet Laureate of Indiana, James Whitcomb Riley was born in a two-room log cabin in Greenfield.
66. Indiana produces more professional basketball players per capita than any other state in the country. On average, 26 of every million Indiana citizens will play in the NBA.
67. Wabash, IN was the first city to be illuminated electrically.
68. Fort Wayne, IN was home to the first gasoline pump.
69. Indiana is home to the richest deposits of limestone anywhere on the planet.
70. The sugar cream pie is the state pie.
71. The state flower is the peony.
72. Indiana was the 19th state to join the Union.
73. More than 6 million people live in the Hoosier state.
74. Historically, Indiana leans Republican in national elections.
75. There are over 900 lakes in Indiana.
76. There are more than 100 wineries in Indiana.
77. Sliced bacon originated in Indiana.
78. Rear-view mirrors were invented in Indiana.
79. Purdue University has produced several astronauts.
80. Indiana isn’t all in the same time zone.
81. German is the largest nationality.
82. Residents of the northwest corner of the state are considered to be from “the region,” as those Hoosiers are more influenced by Chicago.
83. Indianapolis hosted the Pan Am Games in 1987.
84. Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl in 2012 to rave reviews.
85. Indianapolis has also hosted several March Madness games and Final Fours.
86. Indiana’s 1816 constitution was the first in the country to implement a state-funded public school system.
87. Indiana has one federally recognized Native American tribe, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
88. Tourism slogans for Indiana have included “Honest to Goodness Indiana,” “Wander Indiana” and “Enjoy Indiana.”
89. Indiana is one of the only states that doesn’t have an official state fish or state mammal.
90. Indiana has one national park: Indiana Dunes National Park.
91. There are also 24 state parks in Indiana.
92. There are 43 national historic landmarks in Indiana.
93. More than 80% of Indiana was covered with forests before the arrival of the pioneers.
94. In 1852, the iconic car brand Studebaker was founded in Indiana.
95. Over a quarter of American-made steel is produced in northwest Indiana.
96. Medicines like Prozac, Cialis, Insulin, Penicillin and the polio vaccine were all created in Indiana.
97. Indiana native Chuck Taylor, a basketball player and Converse shoe salesman, invented the iconic shoes, which are often nicknamed “Chuck Taylors” today.
98. Joh Dillinger once broke out on an Indiana jail with a wooden gun.
99. Oprah Winfrey once owned a farm in the northwest part of the state.
100. The hot dog eating champion Joey Chesnut now calls Indiana home.