Buzz
1. You might assume that a team of highly paid designers crafted Nike’s famous “swoosh” logo. However, it was Portland State University student and Oregon native Carly Davidson who came up with the iconic design in 1971. She sold it to Nike’s co-founder (Phil Knight, another Oregon native and an accounting professor at the college) for just $35.
2. Knight is also the co-founder and chairman of the animation studio Laika, based in Portland and managed by his son Travis. Laika, the studio behind films like Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls, is just one of many animation companies in Portland, a city known for being one of the best places in America to pursue a career in animation. Other companies like ADi, Happy Trails Animation, BENT IMAGE LAB, Hinge Digital, and Wallace Creative also call the city home.
3. If it weren’t for one particular invention from Oregon, you’d likely be struggling to read this article. In 1970, Portland’s scientist Douglas Engelbart patented his long-awaited creation—the computer mouse.
4. Also originating in Oregon: the beloved hacky sack. The game, and the collaboration between co-inventors Mike Marshall and John Stalberger, was born in 1972. Marshall introduced a makeshift beanbag to Stalberger, who was recovering from a knee injury and looking for a fun, low-stress way to rehabilitate. After Marshall’s passing, Stalberger sold the concept to Wham-O in 1983.
5. Resting 1,943 feet below the surface, Oregon’s Crater Lake holds the title of the deepest lake in the United States (and the ninth deepest worldwide). This 6-mile-long, 5-mile-wide lake was created by the collapse of Mount Mazama, a Cascade volcano.
Dating back to around 5000 BCE, Crater Lake is renowned for its extraordinary water clarity and purity, and it holds sacred significance for the Klamath Native Americans.
6. Oregon also claims another geological marvel in its Hells Canyon, located along its border with Idaho. It is the deepest river gorge in North America, with the distance between the peak of He Devil mountain and the bottom of the ravine measuring nearly 8,000 feet (7,993 feet, to be exact).
7. Another of Oregon’s maritime wonders is the Sea Lion Caves, the longest sea caves in America and the longest in the world outside of New Zealand, which is home to the only five sea caves that exceed Oregon's in length.
8. Oregon is home to the world’s largest living organism, the Armillaria solidipes, a single mushroom specimen that scientists refer to as the 'Humungous Fungus.' Found in the Malheur National Forest, it spans about 2,400 acres (most of which is underground) and is believed to be between 2,000 and 8,000 years old.
9. But Oregon is also known for embracing the idea that 'good things come in small packages.' In 1971, the state earned a Guinness World Record for having the smallest park in the world. Mill Ends Park, located in Portland, covers only 452 square inches, and contains nothing but a hole filled with flowers. Locals even claim the park is home to a leprechaun. In 2012, Britain tried to contest the title, arguing that a plot so small couldn't technically be called a park, but the decision stood, as the park still held the title... and leprechauns.
10. Oregon may also boast the world’s shortest river, depending on who you ask. From 1989, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Oregon’s D River, which is only 440 feet long, as the shortest river. However, after Montana introduced the 201-foot-long Roe River, Oregon’s title was disputed. In response, citizens of Lincoln City re-measured the D River at an astounding 120 feet during a high tide, but Guinness eventually stopped recording the shortest rivers in 2006.
11. Movies often teach us that the FBI values discretion, but there’s something about a 26-foot-tall rabbit-man hybrid that doesn’t exactly scream 'undercover.' Despite this, Ed Harvey’s fiberglass mascot—a towering creature on display in Aloha, Oregon—has reportedly served as a meeting point for federal agents, all while terrifying local children.
12. Oregon plays a notable role in several Nickelodeon cartoons. The cult favorite Angry Beavers is set in the fictional city of Wayoutatown, Oregon, and Hey Arnold! was inspired by creator Craig Bartlett’s childhood in Portland, blending elements of the city with New York and Seattle. Additionally, the fictional town of Nearberg in CatDog is thought to be based on Oregon.
13. If you're in need of a fast West Coast pen pal, look no further than Oregon’s Barbara Blackburn. In 2005, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the Salem writer as the fastest English-language typist in the world, able to maintain a swift 150 words per minute for 50-minute stretches. Her fastest recorded speed was an impressive 212 words per minute—just over three and a half words per second.
14. A nod to Portland for its remarkable beer culture. The city boasts more breweries than any other in the world—56 in Portland itself, and 76 in the greater Portland area.
15. And all that beer-drinking serves a charitable purpose! Portland is home to the world’s first non-profit pub, the Oregon Public House, which donates its proceeds to various charities under the motto of “ale-truism.”
