Discover the Top 7 Amazing Fun Facts About UNC Chapel Hill You Never Knew!

1. Celebrity Alumni Dinner Party

If UNC Chapel Hill were a dinner party, it'd have a star-studded guest list - filled with a who's who of elite athletes, presidential VIPs, and silver screen charmers: Among their notable alumni are legends like Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm, TV personalities such as Brooke Baldwin and Stuart Scott, former president James Polk, as well as renowned artistes like Andy Griffith and Mary Pope Osborne, and even celebrated coach Roy Williams.
Source => tarheelswire.usatoday.com

2. Sipping for Success at the Old Well

Forget your four-leaf clovers and rabbit's feet – at UNC-Chapel Hill, it's all about taking a swig from the fountain of knowledge and academic excellence on the first day of classes: In this delightful tradition which emerged in the 1990s, students sip from the Old Well, believing it brings good luck and a perfect GPA. The custom has evolved from earlier days when students drank before exams and now serves as a symbol of unity for Tar Heels, all thanks to University Archivist Nicholas Graham's investigative skills.
Source => unc.edu

🛩️ Discover the birthplace of modern aviation in North Carolina, where the Wright Brothers took to the skies, forever changing the way we travel. Learn about their groundbreaking flight and its lasting impact on our world!

=> Fun Facts about North-Carolina

3. UNC Library Ghostbusters

Who you gonna call? UNC Ghostbusters: During every semester, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Wilson Library transforms into a live-action Clue game, challenging students to find a fictional ghost and its portal hidden within the library's special collections - all while navigating Google-proof clues, identifying minuscule details, and searching for fake mustaches sprinkled throughout the building, for added bonus points and, the cherry on top, free pizza for all participating students.
Source => unc.edu

4. Colorful UNC Dialectic Cliques

Feeling blue or white as a ghost, UNC Chapel Hill's pioneers were all about color-coded cliques: The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, both founded in 1795, sported light blue and white, respectively, leading to the adoption of white and the now iconic "Carolina blue" (officially Pantone 542 since 2015) as the university's colors when intercollegiate sports rolled into town in the late 1800s.
Source => museum.unc.edu

5. Oldest Public University Royalty

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the oldest public university of them all? The answer lies in the land of Tar Heels and legendary layups: UNC Chapel Hill was chartered in 1789, making it the first public university in the United States and the only one in existence for over two decades. Alumni royalty include Michael Jordan, Walter Mondale, and Thomas Wolfe, while its standing as one of the nation's top-ranked public institutions and a research powerhouse keeps its academic throne secure.
Source => gradschool.unc.edu

6. Lovechild of Basketball Legends

If Michael Jordan and Vince Carter had a lovechild, it would surely wear the bluest heels and jump through the rafters of the Dean Dome: Located on UNC Chapel Hill's campus, the renowned Dean E. Smith Center houses the Tar Heels basketball team, showcasing an impressive history of victories, banners, and legendary players that grace its halls.
Source => tarheelblog.com

7. Dining Hall Allergy Awareness Champions

If UNC Chapel Hill's dining halls were contestants on a baking competition show, they'd take the cake for allergy awareness: Their dining halls feature dedicated stations and digital screens identifying allergens and gluten-free items, Stress Less Cabinets and Freezers packed with individually wrapped allergen-friendly treats, and even a Registered Dietitian on standby for any menu-navigation needs.
Source => dining.unc.edu