The Indigenous Americans called Catawba were the first to settle in the Charlotte area (Mecklenburg) and were first documented around 1567 in the Spanish record. Due to an outbreak of smallpox in 1759, half of the Catawba tribe died from the disease because they had no immunity. At the time of the outbreak, the Catawba population was 10,000, but by 1826 their total number had dropped to 110. Charlotte first experienced development when a wave of migrants of Scots-Irish Presbyterians or Ulster-Scot dwellers from Northern Ireland inhabited the city; they were the prime founding population in the backcountry. A small number of Germans also settled in the city, which led to their great contribution to the early foundations of the region. Charlotte got the nickname Queen City because it was named in honor of German princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She became the Queen Companion of Great Britain and Ireland in 1761. The city also got a second nickname," The Hornet's Nest," after British Commander General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, dwelled in the city but was chased out by hostile residents. Since then, the Hornet and Hornet's Nest have become a civic emblem that can be found on NBA Charlotte Hornets' uniform and the police uniform.

Sports
Charlotte houses three core professional sports franchises, including the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. The Panthers were created in Charlotte in 1995, and they play their home games at the Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers have won the title on five occasions (1996, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015) and 2 NFC championships in 2003 and 2015. The Panthers are easily the most widely supported team in the city, and their home games are almost always sold out.

The Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer was recently created in 2019 and is yet to taste glory. They play their home games at the Bank of America Stadium.

The Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association was created in 1988 and have proceeded to the finals only to lose on both occasions. They play their home games at the Spectrum Center. Other sports clubs in the city include Charlotte Checkers, who represent the city in professional ice hockey, and Charlotte Knights, who represent Charlotte in professional baseball at the Triple-A level.
Parks and Green Spaces

Charlotte has a 120‑acre Park Road Park and is a prominent landmark near the South Park area. The park features 8 Basketball Courts, two Horseshoe pits, Six Baseball fields, a volleyball court, and playgrounds. Charlotte also possesses Little Sugar Creek, a greenway park completed in 2012 after the purchase of flood-prone homes and establishments.
Food and Restaurants

Charlotte is not only popular for banking, when it comes to food, the city also sits 3rd on the chart of nearly 200 cities in the U.S., according to a new study.The city was recently ranked as one of the best food cities in America by Zagat, topping regional favorites like Atlanta (#10) and Charleston (#11), as well as global heavy-hitters like NYC (#21) and San Francisco (#20). This high ranking is due to the several acclaimed new openings in 2016, including Yafo Kitchen, O-KU, and Stoke.

Notable food and drinks (Cocktails) that should be tried in the city include BBQ, Mount Olive Pickles, Seafood, Soul Gastrolounge's Cucumber Mule, and Haberdish's House Mint Julep. The city is filled with restaurants, but some of the best ones you should look out for when visiting are Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, The Fig Tree Restaurant, The Melting Pot Restaurant, and Lang Van Restaurant.