Ahead of the League

• In 1775 New Hampshire became the first state to declare its independence from England.
• The first summer resort in America was Wolfeboro.
• The first American in space, Alan Shepard, was born in Derry, New Hampshire. His historic flight was made in 1961.
• The first private citizen passenger in the history of space flight was Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire school teacher.
• In 1793, Samuel Morey of Orford invented the internal combustion engine and built the first steamship in the U.S.
• New Hampshire was not the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. However, on June 21, 1788, it was the ninth and deciding state to ratify the Constitution, thereby creating the United States of America.
• The first-in-the-nation Presidential primary election is held in The Granite State every four years. Until the 1992 elections, no candidate had ever won the Presidency without first winning in New Hampshire.

Source: NH Highlights, NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development