North Carolina designated the Scotch bonnet as the official state shell in 1965. The Scotch bonnet is found along the the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Brazil. North Carolina was the first state to adopt a seashell symbol.
First cataloged in 1778, the Scotch bonnet seashell was so named because of its resemblance to the caps worn by Scottish peasants and because the color pattern resembles a Scottish plaid or tartan.
A Toast, by Leonora Martin and Mary Burke Kerr, was designated the official state toast of North Carolina in 1957:
"Here's to the land of the longleaf pine,
The summer land where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,
Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!
The Carolina Tartan was recognized as the official tartan of the state of North Carolina in 1991 (South Carolina also designates the Carolina Tartan as state tartan).
North Carolina designated "The Old North State" as the official state song in 1927 (composed by William Gaston; arranged by Mrs. E. E. Randolph). All State Songs
Carolina is taken from the Latin word for Charles (Carolus), honoring King Charles I of England (who made the original land grant in 1629).
North Carolina was formed in 1729 when the Carolina colony was divided in two. North Carolina became the 12th state in November of 1789.
North Carolina has two familiar nicknames: The Tar Heel State and The Old North State (North Carolina's state song also has the title and theme of "Old North State").
King Charles I granted territory in America in 1629 to Sir Robert Heath (his Attorney General) to be named Carolina, or the province of Carolina (the same charter also refers to the province as Carolana or New Carolana).
Milk was designated the official state beverage of North Carolina in 1987. Seventeen other states (including bordering states of South Carolina and Virginia) recognize milk as a state symbol. North Carolina dairy farmers produce some 135 million gallons of milk per year and North Carolinians consume over 143 million gallons of milk every year.
North Carolina designated the Oak Ridge Military Academy in Oak Ridge, NC as the official state military academy in 1991. Oak Ridge Military Academy is the third-oldest military school in the United States still in operation.
Established as a finishing school for boys by the Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1852, the "Oak Ridge Male Institute" became one of the best private schools in North Carolina, with business and humanities departments, literary and debating societies, and sports teams (several acadamy baseball players went on to play in the major leagues).
North Carolina designated red and blue as the official state colors in 1945 (of shades appearing in the state flag and the National flag).
No specific meanings were attached to the colors in the legislation, but traditionally colors do have specific meanings in heraldic devices such as seals, coats of arms, and flags. Although the National flag also had no meaning specified to the colors, the Great Seal of the United States does:
Red - a symbol of hardiness and valour
White - signifies purity and innocence
North Carolina designated the Scuppernong grape as the official state fruit in 2001. A Scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine (a type of grape native to southeastern U.S.). The grape was named after the Scuppernong River of North Carolina, where it was first discovered. The word Scuppernong is from the Algonquian Indian word ascopo which means "sweet bay tree."