California became the 31st state in 1850 (see statehood order) -
California's state quarter features John Muir (early advocate for
conservation of U.S. wilderness), a California condor, Half Dome
(a granite dome in Yosemite National Park), a giant sequoia
(state tree), and captions of "John Muir" and "Yosemite Valley" -
public domain image on Wikipedia - see all 50 state quarters
State name origins (all 50 states)
What does the word California mean?
The name California originates from the Spanish conquistadors, taken from "Las Serges de Esplandian," a Spanish romance written about 1510 which describes an imaginary island; an earthly paradise. Baja California (lower California - now in Mexico) was first visited by the Spanish in 1533. Present- day California was called Alta California (upper California).
Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548- 1624) - Spanish explorer, entrepreneur, soldier, and diplomat who traveled to New Spain, the Philippines, the Baja California peninsula, Alta California, and Japan (public domain image on Wikipedia)
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