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The Wright brothers completed
the first successful flight of a mechanically propelled airplane over the sands
of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903.
The first known miniature golf course was in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Babe Ruth hit his first professional home
run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914.
The first English child born in America,
Virginia Dare, was born in Roanoke, North Carolina, in 1587.
Many people believe that North Carolina was the first state to declare independence
from England with the Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775.
Cabarrus County, North Carolina, was the site of America's first gold rush.
What was probably the first drawbridge built in the United States was built over
the Cape Fear River.
The first state art museum in the country
is located in Raleigh.
The first Pepsi was created and served in New Bern, North Carolina in 1898
The first outdoor drama in America, The Lost Colony
, is staged every year in Manteo, North Carolina.
Biggest/Smallest/Shortest/Tallest
Mount Mitchell
is the tallest mountain in the eastern United States.
Jockey's Ridge
is the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. Depending
on the weather, its height can range from 80 to 100 feet!
Whitewater Falls in Transylvania County, one of over 200 waterfalls in North Carolina,
is the highest waterfall on the East Coast.
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is the largest
private house in the world, with 250 rooms.
Grandfather Mountain is home to the nation's
highest swinging bridge-one mile high.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in the United States.
Albemarle Sound is the largest freshwater sound in the world.
Fontana Dam is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States, at 480 feet high.
The world's smallest daily newspaper is the Tryon Daily Bulletin.
Emergency Video Notarizations (EVN) expire at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. There is a bill to extend the use of EVNs until July 1, 2027, or until the first license is issued for Remote Electronic Notarizations. Until the EVN extension is adopted, notaries must cease performing EVNs after July 1, 2026 at 12:01 AM. We will update you as we have more information about the status of this legislation.
The Secretary of State’s Office will be closed Friday, July 3rd in observance of the July 4th holiday. The office will re-open to the public on Monday. Most filings with our office can be done online, which will still be available.