This day in history, Wisconsin trivia, and a reminder about BEA

 On this day in 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th U.S. State. To celebrate this anniversary, here are some facts about the Badger State:

-- The name “Wisconsin” comes from a Ojibwa word meaning “red rocks” or “gathering of waters.” The name was originally used to describe the Wisconsin River.

-- Wisconsin claims to be the home of more country music festivals than any other state.

-- America’s Dairyland is actually only the second highest producer of dairy products in the United States – California is first.

-- Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was a Wisconsin Native, and a summer home and studio he built there, Taliesin, is now a National Historic Landmark.

-- Throughout the twentieth century, Wisconsin won national visibility and praise for its role as a “laboratory of democracy” within the American federal system. Are you intrigued? You can learn more about Wisconsin’s politics and government in the University of Nebraska Press title Wisconsin Politics and Government, by James K. Conant, published in 2006 by the University of Nebraska Press. This book is part of our  Politics and Governments of the American States Series, which also includes books on the politics of Alabama, Kentucky, Minnesota and others.

In completely unrelated this-day-in-history news, on this day in 1942, Bing Crosby recorded “White Christmas” in a Los Angeles Studio, according to the New York Times. A variety of interesting stuff happened on May 29, according to the NYT, and you can learn more about those interesting things here.

And finally, BEA is officially underway. As I mentioned here earlier this week, the University of Nebraska Press is giving away a limited number of advance reading copies of two of our fall titles, and our Bison Books Editor, Tom Swanson, will speak today about Ted Kooser’s forthcoming memoir. Our booth is no. 2870, so stop by and say hello.