The state name Nebraska has a Native American origin – taken from the word "oto" which means "flat water," in reference to the Platte River located in the state. It was declared the 37th state in 1867. The USS Nebraska was named in honor of this state

Nebraska was once considered a part of the Great American Desert but it has since expanded its horizons to build an assembly of ranches and farms and to make scientific farming a major source of income. The history of Nebraska is resonant with the impact of the Nebraska farmer.

The 1860s was a turning point in Nebraska history with the influx of new residents lured by the federal government's promise of free land. Undeterred by the lack of trees on the grassy area, the pioneers of Nebraska farming built homes out of sod.

Nebraska experienced a grim episode of "rural flight" – a mass exodus of residents from rural areas – between 1996 and 2004, when almost half a million people vacated Nebraska and five other Midwest states. The most illustrative example is of Monowi, a town of Nebraska that went through a particularly drastic population decline from 150 residents to 1 (as of 2005). The government has tried to circumvent this issue by dangling free land and tax breaks like candy.

Nebraska is duly noted as the birthplace of Kool-Aid juice, which was concocted by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings.

A 1982 album by Bruce Springsteen was named Nebraska after the state.

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