From delicious, fattening foods to scientific advancements, Arizonans have plenty of reasons to be proud of our state's contributions to the world. Here is a short list of just a few things that originated in Arizona.
1. Chimichangas
Good luck figuring out which Arizona restaurant this dish originated from. Across the state you'll find plenty of restaurants claiming to have created chimichangas through various methods, usually through a story of the chef accidentally dropping a burrito in the deep fryer. Whoever invented it, we're just happy to have it as an option in our dinner menu.
2. Dendrochronology
Also known more colloquially as tree-ring dating, theories about this date back to Ancient Greece when botanists first noted tree rings. However, it wasn't until the 20th century when A. E. Douglas at University of Arizona began modern tree-ring study (including branches into ecology, archaeology, and history), that dendrochronology became well understood.
3. Miranda Warning
Most people can probably cite half of the warning after watching any of the dozens of cop shows that have aired since the 1966 Supreme Court decision in the Miranda vs. Arizona case. Also often known as the Miranda Rights, it reminds criminal suspects of their right to silence before interrogation.
4. Pima Cotton
Specifically, Pima S-1 Cotton was developed through the University of Arizona and the quality is considered to be on par with Egyptian cotton.
5. Pluto
Okay, the planet didn't come from Arizona but its status as a ninth planet in our solar system was made from Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory. Then known as Planet X (it sounds spooky!) it was found through blink comparison, which is basically comparing pictures of the same area days apart to determine if there appeared to be any movement among the stars. Within a span of eight days in 1930, Clyde Tombaugh found a small amount of movement and it eventually became known as Pluto.
6. Rubberized Asphalt
The next time you're driving down one of the freeways and notice how quiet the pavement sounds, you can thank your home state for the quiet ride. Rubberized asphalt is composed of just that: concrete and rubber from recycled tires that otherwise would have been tossed in a landfill. These are blended together to reduce road noise.
7. Tasers
While the original Taser was first created in 1974, brothers Rick and Thomas Smith worked in their Scottsdale office to develop the electric weapon into what it is today.
How many of these did you know have origins in Arizona? Are there any we missed that you think should have been mentioned? Let us know in the comments!
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