1. In the terms of shelf space alone, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world.

2. The Library of Congress was formed as part of the Act of Congress that moved the nation’s capital from Philadelphia to Washington.

3. The Library of Congress was just a small library with roughly 3,000 books in it when British troops destroyed it by setting fire to the Capitol building as part of the War of 1812.

4. First opening in 1897, the building that was then known as the Library of Congress Building was renamed the Thomas Jefferson Building in 1980.

5. While the Library of Congress is open to the public and anyone who is at least sixteen years of age and in possession of a government issued photo identification card is allowed into the reading room, only members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices and their staff, Library of Congress personnel, and other government officials can actually check out books and remove them from the building.

6. The Library of Congress’ head librarian, a position known as the Librarian of Congress, is appointed by the President of the United States.

7. John J. Beckley was the first Librarian of Congress and served in that role from 1802 to 1807. Interestingly, he is also credited by many as being the first political campaign manager.

The Library of Congress houses some of America’s greatest treasures and is an awesome place to visit and make use of. The institution has grown from a single room library housed in the capital building to a massive facility encompassing numerous buildings of its own. A visit to the Library of Congress is a great thing to do for anyone traveling to Washington D.C.

1. North Dakota’s Lake Sakakawea, formed by the damming of the Missouri River, is the third largest man made lake in the United States.

2. There are more vehicles registered in North Dakota than citizens living there.

3. North Dakota is the 39th state because it comes before South Dakota alphabetically. The two states were admitted on the same day, but President Benjamin Harrison had the paperwork shuffled and obscured from him so that there would be no record as to which was admitted before the other.

4. The original North Dakota State Capitol was completely lost to fire damage in 1930.

5. There have been three separate movements to change the name of North Dakota to just “Dakota”.

6. North Dakota is rated as the windiest state in the United States and because of this is home to many wind farms that generate a great deal of electric power.

7. Famous people from North Dakota include: Lawrence Welk, Shadoe Stevens, Angie Dickinson, Phil Jackson, Peggy Lee, and Louis L’Amour.

Because of its location and its reputation for harsh weather, North Dakota will probably continue to be both low in population and under the radar of most Americans for quite sometime. North Dakota though is home to a great many things to do and many popular outdoor recreational opportunities as well, particularly for those interested in hunting and fishing.