[VIDEO] North Carolina: Pirates, Planes, and Peculiar Laws

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Weird & Interesting State Facts Playlist

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Weird & Interesting State Facts Playlist

North Carolina: Pirates, Planes, and Peculiar Laws

Transcript:

Welcome to North Carolina—the Tar Heel State! Famous for the Wright brothers’ first flight, smoky mountain views, and world-class barbecue, North Carolina is also packed with odd laws, mysterious legends, and plenty of weirdness hiding between the beaches and the Blue Ridge.

Let’s start with some weird laws. In Asheville, it’s illegal to sneeze on city streets. In Charlotte, women must wear at least 16 yards of fabric in public—though thankfully, that one’s not enforced anymore. And here’s a strange one: bingo games can’t last more than five hours, no matter how serious the competition gets.

Now for the strange and unusual. North Carolina is home to one of America’s oldest unsolved mysteries—the Lost Colony of Roanoke. In 1587, more than 100 settlers vanished without a trace, leaving behind only one cryptic clue carved into a post: the word “Croatoan.” The state also claims one of the world’s most haunted attractions—The Biltmore Estate, where staff and guests have reported phantom voices and the faint sound of laughter echoing through the halls.

What makes North Carolina truly unique? It’s where the Wright brothers took flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903, forever changing transportation. The state also has the highest number of lighthouses on the East Coast and even boasts its own official state toast—celebrating “the land of the longleaf pine.” Oh, and Blackbeard the pirate met his end here in 1718 near Ocracoke Island.

From outlawed sneezes to vanishing colonies and ghostly mansions, North Carolina proves Southern charm comes with a side of strange. Like, comment, and subscribe for more weird and interesting facts from all 50 U.S. states!