Iowa is not boring. Don't believe it if anyone tells you otherwise! Some pretty wild things have gone down in our state. Let's go through a few of them!

  • Ozzy Bit Off A Bat's Head

Okay, so I was aware of Ozzy's infamous moment when he bit the head off of a bat after a concert (talk about riding the Crazy Train) but, I wasn't aware that it was in Des Moines! It happened in 1982 during his solo tour.

  • Captain Kirk Was Born (Or Will Be) In Iowa

Star Trek fans, this one is for you! James T. Kirk, captain of the Starship Enterprise, will be born in Riverside, Iowa, on March 22, 2228.

"I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space."

  • An Asteroid Hit Near Manson

The Manson Crater near Manson is the largest in the country. It was actually originally thought to have been the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. It was later discovered that the crater hit before the extinction, around 74 million years ago.

  • Iowa Used To Have Giant Sloths

About 10,000 years ago, three 7-ft tall giant sloths died in what is now known as southwest Iowa. They can be seen on display at the Museum of Natural History at the University of Iowa in Iowa City today.

  • Iowa Is Home To The First Mosque In The United States

The first and oldest surviving mosque in the country can be found in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is known as The Mother Mosque. Its construction began in 1929 and was completed in February 1934.

  • The mysterious "Visitor of Van Meter".

In 1903, several of Van Meter’s citizens reported seeing a half-human, half-animal creature with bat wings flying about town. Crazy, right? There are multiple accounts of this winged beast, from even the most reputable members of the town including the town doctor, bank cashier, and the local high school teacher, among many others. Supposedly the creature terrorized the town for a few days until a group of citizens got their guns and chased it into a nearby mine, where it then disappeared. Poof! Just like that, never seen again.

Talk about wacky history!


 

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