Interesting facts

1. Auburn is affectionately known as "The Loveliest Village on the Plains," a nickname derived from Oliver Goldsmith's poem, *The Deserted Village*. 2. Auburn University was originally chartered in 1856 under the name East Alabama Male College. 3. The city's famous battle cry and greeting is "War Eagle!" 4. The intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street is known as Toomer's Corner, famous for Toomer's Drugs and its historic lemonade. 5. It is a long-standing tradition to "roll" the oak trees at Toomer's Corner with toilet paper after a significant Auburn athletic victory. 6. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc., is a prominent alumnus of Auburn University. 7. The city is located in Lee County and forms a continuous metropolitan area with the neighboring city of Opelika. 8. The Auburn University mascot is Aubie the Tiger, a beloved, multi-time national champion mascot. 9. Bo Jackson, one of the most famous two-sport athletes in history, won the Heisman Trophy while playing football for Auburn in 1985. 10. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley also played for Auburn University. 11. When Jordan-Hare Stadium is filled to its 87,000+ capacity on a college football Saturday, it temporarily becomes the fifth-largest "city" in Alabama. 12. Chewacla State Park was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). 13. Auburn has frequently been ranked by publications like *U.S. News & World Report* and *Forbes* as one of the best places to live and retire in the United States. 14. The Southeastern Raptor Centre at Auburn University rehabilitates injured birds of prey and trains the eagles that famously fly around the stadium before football games. 15. Auburn was incorporated as a town in 1839. 16. The city features a 13.5-acre botanical facility, the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, right in the middle of town. 17. The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is one of Alabama's leading art museums, featuring a permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American and European art. 18. The nearby Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika puts Auburn on the map for world-class golfing. 19. Auburn's economy is highly resilient, largely insulated from national economic downturns due to the stabilizing presence of the university. 20. The town was originally settled by John J. Harper, who intended to build a town that would be a centre for education and religion.