Nebraska 250

Froggy is celebrating America’s 250th Birthday with 250 Nebraska contributions to the greatest country in the universe!

1	311 – the band
2	4-H – Clubs Began in York County
3	911 Emergency System – Developed and first used in Lincoln
4	Ainsworth Army Air Field – It served as a proficiency training center for P-39 and P-47 fighter pilots and B-17 bomber crews prior to their deployment to Europe.
5	Ak-Sar-Ben coliseum – a historic indoor multipurpose venue in Omaha,
6	Ak-Sar-Ben Field and the U.S. Air Mail – a crucial stop on the first transcontinental airmail route
7	Alex Gordon – Husker Legend
8	Alex Kava – another great author of mystery thrillers
9	Alfred Maximilian Gruenther – four-star general in the U.S. Army
10	Arbor Day – Established by J. Sterling Morton in 1872.
11	Ash Hollow is a focal point for understanding the geologic history of the Central Great Plains prior to the onset of the Great Ice Age.
12	Ashfall Fossil Beds – Prehistoric animal preservation
13	Atlanta Prisoner-of-War Camp (also known as Camp Atlanta) was a major World War II internment facility located directly north of Atlanta in Phelps County, Nebraska. Operating from late 1943 to 1946, the camp held up to 3,000 German prisoners of war captured during the North African and Italian campaigns
14	Bailey Yard is the world’s largest railroad classification yard.
15	Barnes Reserve Cemetery is a historical, 2.61-acre burial ground located in Madison, Nebraska. Established in 1874, it served as the final resting place for early pioneers and Civil War veterans, including Madison’s founder, Henry Mitchell Barnes. The site remains a quiet piece of local history
16	Battle of Blue Water (also known as the Battle of Ash Hollow or the Harney Massacre) was a brutal U.S. Army assault on a Lakota village on September 3, 1855. Led by General William S. Harney, roughly 600 troops attacked Chief Little Thunder’s band in present-day Garden County, Nebraska, in retaliation for the Grattan Fight
17	Beef – Nebraska has the meats
18	Berkshire Hathaway – . It is most famous for being led by legendary investor Warren Buffett, functioning as the parent company for dozens of businesses and holding large investments in major public corporations.
19	Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting – “Woodstock for Capitalists”
20	Black Hills Trail – Beginning in 1874 thousands of freight wagons and stagecoaches passed here along the Sidney-Black Hills Trail.
21	Blizzard of 1888 – an unfortanate event (the world’s 10th deadliest winter storm on record)
22	Bob Devaney – Husker coach from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career record of 136–30–7.
23	Bob Gibson – one of the most dominant pitchers of the 20th Century
24	Bob Kerrey – 35th governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 (has a bridge named after him)
25	Boys Town – Famous youth care center
26	Brook Berringer – Husker Legend
27	Bucholz Well No. 1 – Nebraska’s first successful commercial oil well, Bucholz Well No. 1, was successfully completed on May 29, 1940. Drilled by the Pawnee Royalty Company, it was located in Richardson County
28	Buckle – fashion retailer
29	Buddy Miles – founding member of the Electric Flag, a member of Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys, founder and leader of the Buddy Miles Express and later, the Buddy Miles Band.
30	Buffalo Bill Cody – One of the most famous figures of the American Old West
31	Butter Brickle Ice Cream – Also created at the Blackstone Hotel.
32	Cabela’s – retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and other outdoor recreation merchandise.
33	Carhenge – Car replica of Stonehenge
34	Center Pivot Irrigation – Patented by Frank Zybach in the late 1940s.
35	Chadron State College – one of three public colleges in the Nebraska State College System.
36	Chadron-Chicago Cowboy Race (1893) – a grueling 1,000-mile endurance event that began in Chadron, Nebraska. Nine cowboys raced across Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show at the Chicago World’s Fair. The historic event quickly sparked controversy over animal cruelty and ended in a dramatic judging dispute.
37	Champion Water-Powered Mill – the last and oldest functional water-powered flour mill in the state
38	Charles Starkweather – Not a good dude.
39	Charlie Tuna – Legendary radio disc jockey
40	Cheyenne Outbreak – The breakout proved to be a tragedy, leaving 64 Cheyenne and 11 soldiers dead. However, the resilience and determination of the tribe forced the government to reconsider its policies, ultimately paving the way for the creation of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southeastern Montana
41	Chief Red Cloud – leader of the Oglala Lakota from 1865 to 1909. He was one of the most capable Native American opponents whom the United States Army faced in the western territories.
42	Chimney Rock – Icon of westward expansion
43	Chuck Hagel – politician and Army veteran who served as the 24th United States secretary of defense from 2013 to 2015
44	Clayton Anderson – NASA astronaut
45	Clayton Yeutter – served as United States Secretary of Agriculture under President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1991
46	CliffsNotes – Originally published in Nebraska.
47	Coffee Siding – to avoid higher freight rates in Wyoming, became an important shipping point for Nebraskans. Wyoming ranchers also trailed herds here for shipment. Near the 1,023 footlong siding, Coffee built seven cattle pens. Cattle awaiting shipment were pastured on the Niobrara River south of here. As many as three cattle trains, each consisting of not less than fourteen cars, were sometimes shipped at a time.
48	College World Series – Held annually in Omaha
49	Company A – First Nebraska Infantry 1861-1866 Cass County Historical Society Museum
50	Conflict of 1867 – major battle between pioneers and Native Americans
51	Conor Oberst – singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes.
52	Corn – mic drop
53	Courthouse and Jail Rocks – two towering natural monoliths located in the Nebraska Panhandle, roughly 5 miles south of Bridgeport. Rising 400 feet above the North Platte Valley, these sandstone and clay formations served as iconic, psychological navigational landmarks for pioneers traveling along the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails.
54	Cowboy Capital (Ogallala) – where gold flowed across the gaming tables, liquor across the bar, and often blood across the floor.
55	Crawford 1891 School Bell – a historic local artifact and Nebraska State Historical Marker originally mounted in the belfry of Crawford’s first high school. Built in 1890, the building was demolished in 1956. Fearing its loss, citizens secretly hid the bell until it was placed in a monument made of salvaged original bricks
56	Crazy Horse – a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band and one of the most renowned Native American figures of the nineteenth century. Known for his commitment to defending Lakota lands and lifeways, he emerged as a central figure in the northern Great Plains during a period of intense conflict with the United States.
57	Creighton University – a Jesuit, Catholic university in Omaha, NE, bridging health, law, business and the arts and sciences for a more just world.
58	Crete Carrier – one of the largest privately owned trucking companies in the industry
59	Dannebrog – Nebraska’s Danish Capital
60	Danny Woodhead – professional football player.
61	Death of Baptiste Garnier – Garnier served his country well in bringing peace to the frontier.
62	Dick Cavett – television personality, comedian and former talk show host. He appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television
63	Dick Chapin – Nebraska Broadcaster’s Association award named after him
64	Dick Cheney – Vice President
65	Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing: Started in the 1940s at a restaurant in Grand Island.
66	Easter Blizzard of 1873 – one of the most severe and deadliest weather events in Plains history.
67	Elvis Presley concerts – The King performed in the Cornhusker State, including a legendary final performance just months before his passing.
68	Enola Gay – plane that dropped atomic bomb was built in Nebraska
69	Eric Crouch – 2001 Heisman Trophy winner (Millard North).
70	Eskimo Pie – Invented by Christian Nelson in Onawa, Iowa, but partnered with a Nebraska company.
71	Evelyn Sharp Ord Airport – Named after Nebraska’s legendary aviatrix, Evelyn Sharp (1919–1944), the airport honors her trailblazing legacy. Sharp was one of the nation’s youngest commercial pilots and flight instructors. During World War II, she served as a Squadron Commander for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), ferrying military aircraft across the country.
72	Fairbury hot dog – who doesnt love a good hot dog
73	Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home – a renowned nonprofit organization founded in 1917 by Father Edward J. Flanagan in Omaha, Nebraska
74	Flight of the Cheyennes – historical event in which nearly 350 Northern Cheyenne escaped a disease-ridden reservation in Oklahoma to fight their way back to their ancestral homelands in Montana
75	Fort Kearny – a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the Western United States during the middle and late 19th century. The fort was named after Colonel and later General Stephen Watts Kearny
76	Fort McPherson National Cemetery – Located nearby in Maxwell, NE, a significant veterans’ cemetery
77	Fort Niobrara – Fort Niobrara was an active post until 1906. In 1912 part of the original military reservation was set aside as a national game preserve
78	Fort Robinson – one of the great historic places of the American West. The post began in 1874 as a temporary encampment during the Indian Wars.
79	Forty-Niner Trail – Through Nebraska, most travelers followed the established Oregon Trail, which became known as the California or “Forty-Niner’s” Trail.
80	Fred Astaire – Actor and one fine dancer
81	Fred Astaire – Actor and one fine dancer
82	Gabrielle Union – actress, model, author, and producer. (She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You)
83	Gale Sayers (college career tied to region)
84	Gallup – Founded in Lincoln
85	Game of the Century (1970 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma)
86	Gary Greenwood – legendary radio man
87	General Custer – his legacy heavily influenced Nebraska’s geography and history.
88	George Beadle – shared one-half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Edward Tatum for their discovery of the role of genes in regulating biochemical events within cells.
89	George E. Johnson – electrical and a civil engineer. As State Engineer, 1915-1923, he laid out the Nebraska highway system
90	George Norris – best known as the man behind the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority
91	George William Norris – politician from Nebraska, who served in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1903 to 1913, and in the United States Senate from 1913 to 1943. A progressive politician, he became an independent in 1936, switching from the Republican Party.
92	Gerald Ford – Born in Omaha
93	German P.O.W. Camp Fort Robinson State Park – German P.O.W. Camp Fort Robinson State Park
94	Grateful Dead’s 1973 performance at Pershing Auditorium – check out the killer jam on Eyes of the World
95	Gretna Fish Hatchery – home to the oldest state fish hatchery in Nebraska
96	Grover Cleveland Alexander – Baseball Hall of Fame.
97	Harry S. Truman Coconut Head – Restored at the Ford Center in Omaha, Nebraska, treated the artifact, addressing issues like loose teeth, failing adhesive on the glasses, and shedding fibers
98	Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium – One of the world’s best zoos
99	Henry Fonda – Born in Grand Island
100	Hilary Swank – Popular Actress
101	Historic Missouri Valley – it might be named after another state but Nebraska is better
102	Homestead Act of 1862 – Massive settlement impact
103	Ignis Drone System – Fire-fighting drone technology developed at UNL.
104	Indian Treaty Monument – historic stone marker commemorating an 1857 peace and land treaty with the Pawnee Tribe
105	International Quilt Museum – houses the largest known public collection of quilts in the world
106	Interstate 80 – the best thing to come out of Iowa
107	Jaime King – actress, model, producer, and director. She’s known for her roles in the TV shows Hart of Dixie and Black Summer, and the films Pearl Harbor, Sin City, and White Chicks.
108	James Valentine – musician who is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the pop band Maroon 5
109	Jeff Zeleny – journalist and the chief national affairs correspondent for CNN. He previously was senior Washington correspondent for ABC News. During his newspaper career, he won a Pulitzer Prize with the Chicago Tribune
110	John Cook – Husker Legend
111	John Neihardt – Nebraska poet laureate, writer and poet, amateur historian and ethnographer. Born at the end of the American settlement of the Plains, he became interested in the lives of those who had been a part of the European-American migration, as well as the Indigenous peoples whom they had displaced
112	Johnny Carson – Grew up in Norfolk
113	Johnny Goodman – golfing legend
114	Johnny Rodgers – 1972 Heisman Trophy winner (Omaha Tech).
115	Jordan Hooper – basketball player. She last played for the Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association. She was an All-American forward at the college level for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
116	Jordan Larson – Husker Legend
117	Kearney – Crane migration hotspot
118	Kearney Archway – a monument on Interstate 80 located three miles east of Kearney, Nebraska, United States. Originally proposed in 1997 and opened in July 2000, it houses a historical experience that tells the story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley in the development of America
119	Kearney Cotton Mill – A cotton mill in Nebraska? It really happened in the 1890s. The two-story mill opened in the spring of 1892, employing hundreds of workers
120	Kearney State College – part of the University of Nebraska system, formed in 1903
121	Ken Siemek – Local TV Legend
122	Kevin Kugler – sports broadcaster extraordinaire
123	Kiewit Corporation – one of North America’s most respected construction and engineering organizations
124	Kool-Aid – Created by Edwin Perkins in Hastings in 1927.
125	Lake McConaughy – Nebraska’s largest reservoir
126	Largest Mammoth Fossil – In 1921, the fossil of the largest mammoth in the world was found north of Curtis, Nebraska.
127	Larry the Cable Guy – Git R Done
128	Lewis and Clark Park and Trail – some people walked through the state
129	Lincoln Memorial Highway – the first transcontinental road for automobiles in the United States
130	Lincoln’s Emergence as an Aviation Center Lincoln Municipal Airport – a hub of plane manufacturing and pilot training, one that attracted a young Charles Lindbergh to Nebraska’s capita
131	Lone Tree – an important landmark for overland travelers making their way through the Platte Valley to Utah and California
132	Loup City Riot – a farm strike
133	Malcolm X – civil rights activist and Muslim minister who came from a background of poverty, family disruption, and criminal activity to a prominent figure during the civil rights movement until his assassination in 1965
134	Mallalieu University – the only reminder of this early attempt to bring higher education to southwest Nebraska.
135	Mannheim Steamroller – Founded by Nebraskan Chip Davis.
136	Marg Helgenberger – actress. She began her career in the early 1980s and first came to attention for playing the role of Siobhan Ryan on the daytime soap opera Ryan’s Hope from 1982 to 1986
137	Mari Sandoz – novelist, biographer, lecturer, and teacher. She became one of the West’s foremost writers, and wrote extensively about pioneer life and the Plains Indians
138	Marlon Brando – considered one of the most influential and important actors in film history
139	Massacre Canyon – the site of the last large-scale battle between Native American tribes in the United States
140	Matthew Sweet – alternative rock/power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s
141	Mayhew Cabin 1852 – one of only two Underground Railroad sites in Nebraska officially recognized by the National Park Service
142	McCook Army Air Base – served as a premier training facility for heavy bomber crews, preparing thousands of servicemen for the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-29 Superfortress
143	McRib – Created by McDonald’s first executive chef, René Arend, a native of Luxemburg who was working in Nebraska.
144	Mel Maines – longtime 10/11 news anchor
145	Memorial Stadium – GBR
146	Milt Tenopir – Nebraska’s offensive line coach from 1974 – 2002 and the founder of the historic Pipeline.
147	Missouri River – the longest river in the United States which flows through the greatest state in the US
148	Monowi – the smallest incorporated village in the United States, famous for having an official population of exactly one.
149	Montgomery Clift – actor known for his intense performances and portrayal of sensitive young men. He was nominated for four Academy Awards and is considered one of Hollywood’s first Method actors.
150	Muir House – One of Nebraska’s most elegant early homes
151	Mutual of Omaha – a trusted provider of Medicare Supplement Insurance,
152	Narcissa Whitman – trail-blazer and martyred missionary, is one of the great heroines of the frontier West. In 1836 she and Eliza Spalding, following the north side of the Platte on horseback, became the first white women to cross the American continent.
153	National Museum of Roller Skating – Nebraska has the best Museums
154	Naval Ammunition Depot Central Community College – the largest of the Navy’s WWII inland munitions plants, covering almost 49,000 acres of Adams
155	Nebraska – Movie
156	Nebraska Album – Bruce Springsteen
157	Nebraska Cornhuskers 1902 Football Season – first team in school history to remain completely unscored upon
158	Nebraska Cornhuskers 1971 Football Season – achieved a perfect 13-0 record and secured the consensus National Championship
159	Nebraska Cornhuskers 1995 Football Season – finished 12-0 and captured the consensus National Championship
160	Nebraska Cornhuskers men’s basketball team 2025–26 season – won the first NCAA men’s tournament game in the program’s history
161	Nebraska Furniture Mart – where we do all our shopping!
162	Nebraska History Museum – best way to get educated on this list!
163	Nebraska Indians Baseball Team – a prominent, barnstorming American Indian baseball team that toured the United States for 21 years from 1897 to 1917
164	Nebraska Nice – the people
165	Nebraska State Fair – Major statewide celebration
166	Nebraska Statehood – Became the 37th state
167	Nebraska’s Flying Doctor – a pioneering physician from Beaver City, Nebraska. He made global medical history on May 23, 1919, by taking a Curtiss JN-4D biplane to Herndon, Kansas, to perform emergency surgery on a critically injured oilfield worker
168	Neilgh Mill – a surviving reminder of the grist mills that once dotted Nebraska’s landscape.
169	Nicholas Sparks – novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has published 24 novels, 16 of which are New York Times bestsellers, and two works of nonfiction, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide in more than 50 languages.
170	Nick Nolte – Known for his leading man roles in both dramas and romances
171	Niobrara River – Scenic and biologically diverse
172	North Platte Canteen – Served millions of soldiers
173	O Street – longest main street
174	Offutt Air Force Base – home of the 55th Wing, the Fightin’ Fifty-Fifth, which is the largest wing in Air Combat Command and the second largest in the Air Force.
175	Ogallala Aquifer – Critical water source beneath Nebraska
176	Omaha Steaks – Founded in 1917.
177	Oregon Trail migration – Passed through Nebraska
178	Ox-Bow Trail – this route carried thousands of emigrants and millions of pounds of freight destined for the settlements, mining camps, or military posts of the West.
179	Pawnee Woman’s Grave – historical site located in the city park of Indianola, Nebraska (in Red Willow County). It commemorates a Pawnee woman who was fatally wounded during the historic 1873 Battle of Massacre Canyon and subsequently cared for by local homesteaders before she died.
180	Pebble Creek Fight – In 1872-73 white settlers were moving into the North Loup Valley. Their presence sparked occasional conflicts with Lakota Sioux wandering down from the north to hunt or raid the Pawnee Reservation…
181	Pershing Center – great venue
182	Pershing Rifles Military and Naval Science Building – it serves as the headquarters for UNL’s Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC programs and is the traditional National Headquarters for the Pershing Rifles drill society
183	Peru State College – It is the first and oldest institution of higher education in Nebraska.
184	Peter Fonda – actor, director, screenwriter, and two-time Golden Globe winner.
185	Ponca Indians – They are the only federally recognized tribe in Nebraska without a reservation.
186	Pony Express Trail – express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California.
187	Porcupine Ranch – was the first of five road ranches in York County.
188	Prehistoric Burial Site Eugene T. Mahoney State Park – a protected, pre-colonial Indigenous communal cemetery dating from 1050 to 1400 AD. It serves as an irreplaceable archaeological resource and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
189	Prisoners of War in Dundy County – a temporary branch camp was established in Dundy County, north of Benkelman, to house 44 German prisoners of war. The camp alleviated agricultural labor shortages, allowing the prisoners to harvest an estimated 10,000 bushels of corn.
190	Raisin Bran – Created by Skinner Manufacturing Co. in Omaha.
191	Ranch was invented by a Nebraskan
192	Republican River Flood of 1935 – one of the greatest droughts the Great Plains has seen, a historic flood swept through the Republican River.
193	Reuben Sandwich – Created at Omaha’s Blackstone Hotel in the 1920s.
194	Roger Moody – Nebraska Broadcaster’s Association award named after him
195	Runza – State-famous food
196	SAFER Barrier – Developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
197	Sage Brothers – tragic tale of three brothers from Niobrara who all lost their lives aboard the USS Frank E. Evans in 1969
198	Sam Bass and the Big Springs Robbery – The first and greatest robbery of a Union Pacific train
199	Sandhill Crane Migration – One of nature’s great spectacles
200	Sandhills – Largest dune formation in the Western Hemisphere
201	Sandy Dennis – actress. She made her film debut in the drama Splendor in the Grass. For her performance in the comedy-drama film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
202	Savidge Brothers – Aviation Pioneers
203	Scott Frost – Husker player and coach
204	Scotts Bluff National Monument – Oregon Trail landmark
205	Scottsbluff Army Airfield Scotts Bluff County Airport – support the troops
206	Scout’s Rest Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park – a living history state park located west of North Platte, Nebraska. The ranch was established in 1878 with an initial purchase of 160 acres south of the Union Pacific tracks by William Cody.
207	Seward’s 4th of July Parade
208	Ski Lift – It might seem strange that the idea for an essential piece of ski equipment was developed in the Midwest (and not in, say, the Rocky Mountains), but the iconic chairlift design used to shuttle loads of people up steep, snow-covered slopes was created right here in Omaha. Union Pacific engineer James Curran came up with the idea in 1935, inspired by the mechanical conveyor system used for loading cargo ships with bananas. His idea turned out to be groundbreaking for the ski industry, and later that year, the first chairlift was installed in Sun Valley, Idaho.
209	Skirmish at Spring Creek – More Medals of Honor were won in this brief engagement than in any other incident in Nebraska’s military history.
210	Soybeans – One of the many reason Nebraska is better than Iowa
211	St. Joseph and Grand Island Railroad – The link freed the Union Pacific from the competition of connecting lines at its eastern terminus in Omaha by providing a route bypassing Iowa.
212	St. Patrick’s Cemetery – Located roughly 30 miles northeast of Lincoln. It is a historic rural cemetery historically tied to early Irish settlers and is frequently used by families in the broader Lincoln and Cass County areas
213	Standing Bear v. Crook was groundbreaking—it established that Native Americans are “persons” under U.S. law. That’s a major civil rights milestone that happened in Nebraska.
214	Steamboat Bertrand – sank on April 1, 1865, while carrying cargo up the Missouri River to Virginia City, Montana Territory, after hitting a snag in the river north of Omaha, Nebraska. Half of its cargo was recovered during an excavation in 1968, more than 100 years later.
215	Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum – Aviation history hub
216	Stromsburg – The Swede Capital of Nebraska
217	Susan La Flesche Picotte – Native American medical doctor and reformer and member of the Omaha tribe. She is widely acknowledged as one of the first Indigenous people, and the first Indigenous woman, to earn a medical degree
218	Susan O. Hail Grave – one of the hundreds of people that died migrating westward in the 1850s. Of all those who died, only a few graves are known.
219	Susette La Flesche – a well-known Native American writer, lecturer, interpreter, and artist of the Omaha tribe in Nebraska. La Flesche was a progressive who was a spokesperson for Native American rights.
220	Ted Kooser – won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2005. He served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004 to 2006. Kooser was one of the first poets laureate selected from the Great Plains, and is known for his conversational style of poetry.
221	Ted Sorensen – Speechwriter
222	Terence Crawford – Undisputed welterweight boxing champion.
223	Terms of Endearment – 1983 Movie
224	The 100th Meridian – a line of longitude extending from the North Pole to the South Pole. In the contiguous United States, it acts as a famous, historic geographic boundary separating the humid eastern half of the country from the arid western Great Plains.
225	The Armour and Company Icehouse – one of the largest icehouses in the country, measuring approximately 180 feet wide, 700 feet long, and 52 feet high. A 300-horsepower steam engine and two generators provided electrical power.
226	The Assembly Line by Milt Tenopir is a football coaching book that details the offensive line philosophy and techniques used by the University of Nebraska under Coach Tom Osborne, focusing on the I-formation
227	The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – 2017 Movie
228	Tom Brokaw – co-anchor of The Today Show from 1976 to 1981 with Jane Pauley, then as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for 22 years who also worked in Nebraska
229	Tom Osborne – Nebraska football icon
230	Top 40 Radio – In 1949, radio was still the main form of entertainment for many Americans. Perhaps that’s why the Storz family (a very prominent family in Omaha) decided to purchase a radio station for themselves. They named Todd Storz as the manager of KOWH, and instead of playing soap operas or talk shows, he opted to play popular music. He made the decisions based on record sales, jukebox plays and other data, and his strategy resulted in KOWH being rated the top independent station in the country. Now, Top 40 radio stations are still the most played in America. Thanks, Todd!
231	Tosca Lee – published author of 18 books – 1988 Lincoln East graduate
232	Transcontinental Railroad completion – Key rail connections through Nebraska
233	Tristan Williams – Jeopardy winner from Lincoln
234	Unicameral legislature, created in 1937. That means just one legislative chamber instead of two. It’s also officially nonpartisan, which makes it a fascinating case study in how government can work differently.
235	Union Pacific Railroad – HQ in Omaha
236	University of Nebraska–Lincoln – Major research institution
237	Villasur Expedition – first large-scale European incursion to occur in what would become Nebraska.
238	Vise-Grip Locking Pliers – Invented by William Petersen in DeWitt in 1924.
239	Volleyball Day in Nebraska – The event’s recorded attendance of 92,003 was the highest ever at a women’s sporting event in the United States.
240	Wade Boggs (born in Omaha) – baseball legend
241	Walker’s Ranch – an early Kearney County landmark.
242	Wallace W. Waterman Sod House near Big Springs, Nebraska, United States, is a sod house built in 1886. It was modified in 1925 for continued use, including a layer of concrete being applied to the exterior walls. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
243	Walter Scott Jr. – billionaire businessman, civil engineer, philanthropist, and CEO of Kiewit Corporation.
244	Ward Bond – character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series Wagon Train from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered film roles are Bert the cop in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and Captain Clayton in John Ford’s The Searchers.
245	Warren Buffett – Legendary Omaha billionaire
246	Wheat – only the best
247	Wilber – Czech Capital – some 50,000 Czechs settled in Nebraska, most of them from the Province of Bohemia.
248	Willa Cather – Pulitzer Prize-winning author
249	William Jennings Bryan – lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party’s nominee for President of the United States in the 1896, 1900, and 1908 elections.
250	Willie Nelson’s 1987 Farm Aid concert at Memorial Stadium – drew 69,000 people and raised $1.7 million for farmers during the 1980s farm crisis.