1. The classic 1979 teen rebellion movie “Over The Edge,” starring a young Matt Dillon, was filmed in Aurora.
2. In 1955, then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower spent seven weeks recovering from a heart attack at Aurora’s Fitzsimons Army Medical Center.
3. Fitzsimons Army Medical Center was also the birthplace of current Secretary of State and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
4. Because of secrecy concerning operations at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora is favorite among the UFO conspiracy crowd.
5. When Norma O. Walker was elected Mayor of Aurora in 1965, she became the first female mayor of an American city with a population above 60,000.
6. Following the planned release of a science fiction movie called “Lord of Light” in 1979, Aurora was scheduled to open a theme park using the film’s sets. The movie was scrapped, but the unused script was eventually used as cover for an operation to get trapped American hostages out of Iran. You might remember the incident from the 2012 Oscar-winning movie “Argo.”
7. The latest in the season snow has ever fallen in Aurora is June 1st.
8. In 1993, Aurora’s Cherry Creek State Park hosted the 8th ever World Youth Day, an event organized for young members of the Roman Catholic Church. The event was presided over by Pope John Paul II, and marked the first time World Youth Day took place in an English-speaking nation.
9. Roughly half the total population of Colorado lives in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area.
10. Earlier this year, NerdWallet.com ranked Aurora America’s “Best Large City for Women in the Workforce” for its low cost of living, income equality and abundance of high tech jobs
11. In 2004, Sports Illustrated named Aurora Colorado’s "Sportstown" for the city’s “commitment to finding creative and resourceful ways to enhance sports.”
12. In 2007, the Colorado Senate passed a resolution making longtime Aurora resident John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" a state song.
13. In 2006, Aurora native and fallen Navy SEAL Danny Dietz was posthumously awarded a Navy Cross for his valor in battle. Dietz was later portrayed by the actor Emile Hirsch in the 2013 film “Lone Survivor.”
14. Buckley Air Force Base is by far and away the biggest employer in Aurora, with over 12,000 employees. Anschutz Medical Campus is second with over 6,000 employees.
15. The Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum at the former Lowry Air Force Base features a three-quarter scale “Stars Wars” X-Wing. It’s been on loan from Lucasfilm since it was built to promote the “Star Wars” re-release in 1997.
16. Over 90 languages are spoken in Aurora’s public school system.
17. There are 31 cities, towns, and communities in America named Aurora.
18. When Aurora was founded in 1891, it was named Fletcher for its founder Donald Fletcher. However, Fletcher, a Chicago native, left town in 1893 after incurring major water debt. The town’s name was officially changed to Aurora in 1907.
19. Aurora has more than quadrupled in size since the 1970, going from a population of 75,000 to approximately 339,000.
20. In 2013, Aurora’s The Kasbah was featured on Spike TV’s bar renovation reality show “Bar Rescue.”
21. The critically panned 1978 movie “Every Which Way but Loose” was partially filmed in Aurora.
22. On signs around town, Aurora’s elevations is officially listed at 5,471 feet. However, depending on the part of town, the elevation varies between 4,800 feet and 6,235 feet.
23. Until 2009, it was illegal in Colorado, and by extension Aurora, to catch rain for private use since the rainwater was considered property of the state.
24. In 2008, DigitalCommunities.com ranked Aurora was ranked the top “digital city” in America among cities with a population of 250,000 or more for “using technology to create a seamless environment between local government and constituents.”
25. One of Aurora’s most distinctive features are Buckley Air Force base’s six huge “golf balls.” The balls protect satellite antennas that scan the skies for missiles.
26. Earlier this year, Aurora climbed aboard Colorado’s budding marijuana business, approving licenses for 21 recreational marijuana stores in the city.
27. Aurora is home to 15 different restaurants specializing in the Vietnamese soup and noodle dish pho.
28. Aurora’s Anschutz Medical Campus is named for major benefactor and Denver-based entrepreneur Philip Anschutz. Anschutz made much of his fortune as a co-founder of Major League Soccer and is currently the 38th richest person in America.
29. In 1976, Aurora was due for a major exposure boost when the Winter Olympics were planned to be held in Denver. However, Colorado voters eventually decided to reject the games due to cost and environmental concerns. The games were eventually held in Innsbruck, Austria.
30. Missy Franklin won four Olympic gold medals in swimming during the 2012 Summer Olympics. She graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora in 2013. So, what did you accomplish in high school?
31. In 1982, current Aurora mayor Steve Hogan faced off against Jack Swigert, one of the three astronauts to survive the Apollo 13 near-disaster, for Colorado's 6th congressional district. Swigert ultimately won, but died from cancer before he was able to take office.
32. The Colorado Freedom Memorial, dedicated in May of 2013, features 21 glass panels inscribed with the names of 6,000 fallen soldiers from Colorado.
33. The now-defunct Lowry Air Force Base was named for lieutenant Francis Lowry, who was the only Coloradan Air Force pilot killed in action during World War I.
34. In 1990 the Aurora Reservoir was filled using 39,000,000 cubic meters of water.
35. Aurora native and current Vice Chief of Naval Operations Michelle J. Howard was the first ever first African-American woman to command an American Navy ship.
36. Michael D. Brown, the former head of FEMA who was widely criticized for his handling of Hurricane Katrina, was infamously appointed to his post by George W. Bush fresh off a stint as the head of the International Arabian Horse Association—an organization that’s based in Aurora.
37. The building that currently houses the Aurora Fox Arts Center was originally a facility for Lowry Air Force Base during World War II.
38. Longtime Major League Baseball pitcher Danny Jackson attended Aurora Central High School.
39. The largest catfish ever caught in Colorado was bagged in the Aurora Reservoir in 2010. The mammoth fish weighed over 35 pounds.
40. Aurora’s now-defunct Fitzsimons Army Hospital was founded during World War I as a site to treat chemical weapons and tuberculosis victims.
41. Aurora’s Dry Dock Brewing Company won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup for its Amber Ale in 2006.
42. In 2010, Aurora became the first large “majority-minority” city in Colorado, with roughly 53 percent of its citizens identifying as something other than white on the census.
43. Aurora is considered Colorado’s most refugee-friendly city due to its diverse population, wealth of refugee resources and low cost of living.
44. Aurora is a bit lacking when it comes to skyline—no building in Aurora is over 13 stories high.
45. Aurora has one sister city: Adama, Ethiopia.
46. In 2009, Aurora native Kayla Radomski was a finalist on Season 5 of the Fox dance competition show “So You Think You Can Dance.” She finished in fourth place.
47. John Denver’s funeral was held at Faith Presbyterian Church in Aurora.
What’s your favorite Aurora fun fact? Tell us in the comments below!
