Happy Arizona Statehood Day!

Tired of sending all your hard earned moey to flower and card companies just to celebrate the day some Saint was hung? Then Arizona Statehood Day is the Holiday for you!

On February 14, 1912 Arizona became the 49th state in the Union.

Over 550 years ago Franciscan friar Marcos de Niza and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado both failed to discover the wealth of the Seven Cities of Cibola. Today, the wealth of Arizona can be found in the startling natural wonders of the state, in vast mineral reserves, in the healthful climate and in the rich cultural heritage of the "Pueblos".

One of the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World", the Grand Canyon attracts nearly five million visitors each year and Monument Valley's sandstone monoliths have served as the breathtaking backdrop for many classic western films.

Arizona leads all states in the production of copper and non-fuel minerals.

From about 700 A.D. to 1200 A.D. the Pueblo (Spanish for village) people flourished, building the great communal cliff dwellings that today, serve as testament to a remarkably unique culture.

This state with a tumultuous past was also the home of Geronimo and Cochise and set the scene for the "Gunfight at the OK Coral" where the score was finally settled between the Earps and the Clantons.

It's said that a mining speculator named Charles D. Poston first suggested the name Arizona in a petition to the United States Congress to make Arizona a legal territory.

The name, Arizona, is derived from a combination of two words from the Papago Indian dialect of the Pima language; "Aleh" and "Zon" together as "Aleh-zon" meaning "little spring." The "little spring", located in Mexican territory, is near a large silver discovery made in Arizona Creek.

The Grand Canyon State: This popular nickname for Arizona references the incomparable Grand Canyon in the northern part of the state, one of the world's natural wonders.

The Copper State: Producing more copper than any other state in the union, the Copper State is an apt nickname for Arizona. This nickname is reinforced by the copper star that is at the center of the Arizona State Flag.

The Apache State: Arizona was referred to as the Apache State because of the great numbers of Apache that lived in the territory. The Apache people fought bravely to keep newcomers from the state for many years in the 19th century.

The Aztec State: This nickname was probably in reference to the Aztec place names found in the Gila and Salt River valleys. Some of the ruins along these rivers may have been built by the Aztecs.

The Baby State: For a period of time, Arizona was the "baby" of the republic. It was the last of the contiguous 48 states to be admitted to the union in 1912. It was another 47 years later that Alaska and Hawaii gained statehood.

Italy of America: The Italy of America nickname compares the beautiful and scenic mountain regions of the state of Arizona with the mountains of Italy.

The Sand Hill State: This nickname is a reference to the desert-like appearance of many areas throughout the state.

The Sunset State: This nickname most certainly stemmed from the beautiful sunsets throughout the state and particularly at the Grand Canyon. Arizona does provide a magnificent foreground for dramatic sunsets. "Sunset Land," a variation of the Sunset State, has also been recorded. Patrick Hamilton, in his book, The Resources of Colorado, published in 1884, stated "...there is no region on the globe, not even excepting the Italian peninsula, that can show such grand effects of light and shade, such gorgeousness of coloring, or such magnificent sun-bathed landscapes. When the banks of clouds around the western horizon look like masses of burnished gold set in a sea of silver, then is presented a picture to which neither pen nor pencil can do justice."
So tell all those freaks in pink and red today to go jump in a patch of cholla cactus! You're celebrating a REAL holiday, a holiday for COWBOYS and Gunslingers!

CLICK HERE to hear some cool Arizona music.