PRODUCT OF: THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE GOPHER SERVICE
California - The Golden State, so nicknamed because its remarkable
prosperity began with the discovery of gold in 1849, was admitted to the
Union as the thirty-first state on September 9, 1840. No one knows the
exact origin of the name, but it is believed to have come from a 16th
century poem of romantic chivalry, bestowed by Hernan Cortes himself. The
first official mention of it was a July 2, 1542 entry in the diary of Juan
Cabrillo as his ship lay at anchor off the cost of Baja, California.
State Motto - "Eureka," appears on the Great Seal of the State. It is a
Greek word meaning "I have found it," referring, originally, to the discovery
of gold.
State nickname - The Golden State, is appropriate because modern
California's development and remarkable propserity began with the discovery
of gold.
State Colors - Blue and Gold Ribbons, (Yale blue and golden yellow) are
used with the Great Seal. They are also the colors of the University of
California.
State Song - "I Love You, California," was first sung publicly by the great
Mary Garden in 1913. Lyrics and music are Silverwood and Frankenstein of
Los Angeles.
State Mineral - native Gold. This state has produced more gold than any
other in the Union, and it can still be panned from her streambeds.
State Rock - Serpentine. In 1965 it was adopted by the Legislature as the
official state rock.
State Animal - the Grizzly Bear appears on the State Flag and the Great
Seal. A bear frequently symbolizes California in political cartoons. Now
extinct in California, it was a particularly large, fierce and formidable
animal.
State Reptile - the Desert Tortoise digs a deep burrow which it peacably
shares with owls and rattlers. Related to the giant Galapagos Tortoise, it
is vegetarian and, if not removed from its desert habitat, very long lived.
State Fish - the California Golden Trout is native to no other state. An
offshoot, or color phase of the cutthroat trout, it is found only in the
icy streams of the high Sierra.
State Insect - the California Dog-face Butterfly is found nowhere outside
this State. Sometimes called the Flying Pansy, its wings are an iridescent
bluish-black, orange and sulphur-yellow in color.
State Tree - the California Redwood in both its forms, Coastal and Sierra,
is among the most ancient and awesome of living things. Except for Oregon,
forests of these giant trees exist nowhere outside California.
State Flower - the Golden Poppy, can be found blooming in some part of the
state throughout the year. April 6 is California Poppy Day.
State Bird - the California Valley Quail. Found throughout the State, it
is a prized game bird noted for its hardiness and adaptability.
State Flag - the Bear Flag, was first raised in 1846 by American settlers
during an uprising against rule from Mexico. Although their California
Republic was short lived, its flag remains in use as a symbol of our love
for freedom in this state.
State Fossil - the Saber-toothed Cat, was a powerful, tiger-sized carnivore
with 8-inch fangs. Common in California 40 million years ago, it hunted
thick-skinned animals such as mastodons.
State Marine Mammal - the California Gray Whale is 30 to 50 feet long and
weighs up to 40 tons. Pods of these creatures can be seen along our coast
making their annual 14,000 mile migration from the Arctic to the lagoons of
Baja, California, and back.
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