Alabama designated "The Incident at Looney's Tavern" as the official state musical drama in 1993. The musical tells the story of Christopher Sheats (a young Winston County school teacher) and the hill people of Alabama, who didn't want to join the Confederacy and struggled against the South's secession, nearly creating "The Free State of Winston" during the Civil War. All Alabama State Symbols
Designed in 1817 by the first governor of the Alabama Territory (William Wyatt Bibb), the great seal of Alabama features the major rivers of the state. All State Seals
The seal design is a map of the Alabama and surrounding territories (now states). When Alabama became a state in 1819, this seal became the official state seal and remained unchanged for over 50 years.
The idea for Alabama's state motto ("We Dare Defend our Rights") came to Marie Bankhead Owen of the Alabama Department of Archives and History while she searched for a phrase to put on the state's coat of arms (completed in 1923). Professor W. B. Saffold of the University of Alabama translated the motto into Latin: "Audemus jura nostra defendere." All State Mottos
"The Miracle Worker", by William Gibson, was designated the state outdoor drama of Alabama in 1991. The play tells the story of the deaf and mute Helen Keller's early life with her teacher, Anne Sullivan. The first production of the drama was performed on the grounds of Ivy Green in 1962. All State Arts & Drama
Alabama's state flag is simply a crimson cross on a field of white. The Alabama legislation does not specify whether the flag should be square or rectangular (only that the bars be at least 6 inches broad), and it is seen both ways. All State Flags
The official coat of arms for the state of Alabama was adopted by both houses of Legislature without one dissenting vote in 1939. Alabama's coat of arms displays a shield with the emblems of five governments that have held sovereignty over the state. The flags of Spain, France, Great Britain, and the Confederacy sit behind the emblem for the United States. All State Coats of Arms
Indiana designates "The Hoosier State" as the official state nickname. The name "Hoosier" is rooted deep in the history of Indiana and the original meaning is uncertain. Historians, folklorists, politicians, and everyday Hoosiers offer many colorful theories on the origin of the term, but no one has a definitive answer. All State Nicknames
Hematite (red iron ore) was designated the official state mineral by the Alabama Legislature in 1967.
Alabama designated Basilosaurus cetoides (Zeuglodon) as the official state fossil in 1984. Fossil remains of this prehistoric whale were first found in Clarke County about 1833 and later discovered in Choctaw and Washington Counties.
Alabama marble was designated the official state rock symbol in 1969. The major source of Alabama marble is in an area known as the "Sylacauga marble belt" in Talladega County. The marble from this area has been called the whitest marble in the world. Well known for it's high-grade crystaline texture and beauty, Alabama marble has been used in buildings and monuments for over 160 years.