Ohio is a trivia fanatic's dream come true. There's always some new fact or odd story to dredge up. Here are twelve to start.

1. Oberlin College founded in 1833, was the first interracial and coeducational college in the USA.

2. John Lambert, of Ohio City, built the first gasoline-powered automobile in the USA.

3.The Cincinnati Red Stockings, as the Reds were known way back in 1869, were the first professional baseball team.

4 The first automatic traffic light was installed in Cleveland, in 1914.

5. Ermal Fraze, of Dayton, invented the first pop-top can. We should all be grateful for that one.

6. In 1870, Cincinnati established the University of Cincinnati. No American city had ever had a municipal university before.

7. Cleveland was the site of the first successful blood transfusion, back in 1905. It was performed by Dr. George Crile.

8. Akron is said to be the first city to use police cars.

9. Dayton produced the first patented cash register. It was invented by James Retty, in 1879.

10. The first municipal ambulance service was started in 1865. Cincinnati takes credit for that.

11. Cincinnati also had the first professional fire department. Really innovative folks, down there.

12. Finally, William Finlay Semple, from Mount Vernon patented a seriously important invention in 1865. Chewing gum.