In 2017, National Day Calendar® began celebrating each state in the order they entered the union starting the week of Independence Day and ending with Hawaii. We highlight a small part of each states’ history, foods and the people who make up the state. Many states have their own state celebrations, and National Day Calendar’s observances in no way replace them. There’s so much more to explore, we can’t help but celebrate our beautiful country even more!
NATIONAL OHIO DAY
On November 2, National Ohio Day recognizes the 17th state to join the United States known as the Buckeye State, the Mother of Modern Presidents, and the first state to enter the country from the Northwest Territory.
#NationalOhioDay
Elaborate and pre-historic remains of a civilization who created mounds can still be found in parts of Ohio. By the time Europeans began to arrive on the continent, Ohio was primarily populated by Kickapoo, Erie and Shawnee.
This Great Lakes State’s northern border includes 312 miles of Lake Erie shoreline. For Ohioans, that’s both an economic and recreational boon. It’s also a natural resource. As the 12th largest lake in the world, the consumable food and water it provides are invaluable.
From the icy blue lakes to crystal clear sky, Ohio has been known to look to the clouds. Whether we recall the Wright Brothers for getting us there, the pilots who went there, seek out observatories to look deeper, and of course, the astronauts who go where few have gone before, Ohio keeps our heads in the clouds!
From the cities to the countryside, Ohio feeds the eyes and the stomach. Curiosity seekers and adventurers alike will find their place. History buffs and collectors, it’s all here.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL OHIO DAY
Join National Day Calendar as we recognize Ohio’s incredible history and grand adventures. Uncover hidden treasures and explore all Ohio has to offer! Use #NationalOhioDay to share on social media.
PARKS
For a complete list of Ohio State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit www.parks.ohiodnr.gov and www.nps.gov. Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below.
First Ladies – Canton
Dayton Aviation Heritage – Dayton
Buckeye Lake – Millersport
Delaware State Park – Delaware
Independence Dam – Defiance
Marblehead Lighthouse – Marblehead
Mohican State Park – Loudonville
MUSEUMS
Pro Football Hall of Fame – Canton
Toledo Art Museum – Toledo
Cleveland Museum of Natural History – Cleveland
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame– Cleveland
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery – Dayton
Armstrong Air and Space Museum – Wapakoneta
Warren Rupp Observatory – Bellville
Motorcycle Hall of Fame – Pinkerton
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – Cincinnati
Ohio History Center – Columbus
American Sign Museum – Cincinnati
The Great Serpent Mound – Hillsboro
A Christmas Story House and Museum – Cleveland
Topiary Park – Columbus
West Side Market – Cleveland
Loveland Castle – Loveland
A pivotal Shawnee political leader and chief during the early 1800s, Tecumseh founded the settlement of Prophetstown along the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers in Northern Indiana in 1808 along with his brother, the Prophet. Building a movement to regain lost lands, Tecumseh suffered losses when military forces destroyed Prophetstown and again following the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811. After joining forces with the British during the War of 1812, Tecumseh perished during battle in Canada.
The 18th president of the United States served as the commanding general of the Union Armies during the American Civil War. The youngest president the country had seen, his two terms from 1869 to 1877 placed him in charge of overseeing much of Reconstruction.
A graduate of West Point, George Armstrong Custer would be most noted in history books for leading his troops into the deadly Battle of the Little Big Horn in the Montana Territory without reinforcements in 1876. More than 200 men, including Custer, perish in the onslaught against the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne.
Baseball’s winningest pitcher, Cy Young garnered 511 wins during his career. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, Young spent most of his time on the mound in Cleveland and Boston but played for five different Major League teams.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick created the Cy Young Award in 1956 after Young’s death to recognize the single best pitcher in baseball annually. Following Frick’s retirement in 1967, one pitcher in the American and the National Leagues earned a Cy Young Award annually.
Phoebe Anne Moses taught herself to shoot game after the death of her father to help feed her family.
Her sharpshooting skills caught the eye of Frank Butler in 1875 when she visited her sister in Cincinnati. She and Butler married and in 1885 joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. They performed around the United States and London. The Wild West show later made it to film thanks to another native Ohioan, Thomas Edison.
From a young age, Orville Wright and his brother, Wilbur, developed a fascination with flight. Inspired by a rubber band propelled helicopter created by inventor, Alphonse Penaud, the brothers would dedicate their lives to invention. They first found success manufacturing bicycles including the Van Cleve and St. Clair.
They never lost interest in flight and continued to develop designs. By 1902, the future aviators were making progress with their gliders and nearing a successful mechanical flight. They sold their bicycle business and on December 17, 1903, achieved their goal.
Known as The Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison received more than 1000 patents during his lifetime. The phonograph and bringing light to the masses (he didn’t invent the light bulb, but he did make it possible for it to be installed in the ordinary person’s home) are some of his most significant achievements.
Edison’s ability to see opportunities and innovate made him an outstanding self-promoter. He didn’t let failure stop him as his interests were varied, and he often had many projects in development at once. Often the development of one device would lead to inspiration for another.
The 27th president of the United States was more than a politician. After serving his presidential term, Taft continued his distinguished law career and became the 10th chief justice of the United States. In 1911, during his presidential term, he also proposed an idea that became known as the Chamber of Commerce.
Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock successfully finished a solo flight around the Earth on April 17, 1964. She was the first woman to accomplish such a feat.
Mock departed on March 19 from Columbus, Ohio at 9:31 AM in her 1953 Cessna 180 single-engine monoplane named The Spirit of Columbus. The entire trip took her 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes. She landed at Port Columbus airport on April 17 at 9:36 PM.
Mock wasn’t the only woman circling the globe at that time. Australian Joan Smith also took to the clouds for the title of ” the first woman to circumnavigate the globe,” but Mock beat her to it.
NASA Astronaut, James Lovell, flew four missions to space including as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission successfully returning the damaged Lunar Module and all on board safely back to Earth.
After pursuing an education in literature at Howard and Cornell Universities, Toni Morrison was both a teacher and an editor before being published. A Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-Winning novelist, Morrison is best known for her novels Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved to name just a few.
Our ability to look farther into and more clearly at the objects in space can be partly credited to George Carruthers. His UV telescope alone made it possible for scientists to capture images in space and examine the Earth’s atmosphere like never before.
Master of the big screen, Steven Spielberg has been intriguing audiences for more than five decades. From epic dramas to fantastic adventures, Spielberg thrills and excites his fans and keeps them coming back for more. At the same time, he keeps them wondering what’s next.
Gloria Steinem began her path to activism through freelance writing. Known for expose on New York City’s Playboy Club and launching magazines focusing on significant women’s topics while garnering criticism along the way.