Hmm, sounds like fun!
Here's what I dug up:

New York, the *Empire State*:

*New York was named after the Duke of York of England.
*Our state motto is excelsior ("Ever upward").
*New York city is one of, if not the largest city in the United States.
*"Uncle Sam," the national symbol, originated in Troy in the early 1800's.
*Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, is the world's largest indoor theater, seating 5,900.
*The first escalator was manufactored in New York City in 1899.
*The World Trade Center had the world's second tallest skyscrapers.
*The National Baseball Hall of Fame is in Cooperstown.
*New York City's theaters, museums, and concert halls make it a leading cultural center.