I've always found state nicknames fascinating. In particular, as someone who has lived in quite a few states in my lifetime, I've always been enamored with finding out how these states get their nicknames.

For example: I'm originally from Ohio, the Buckeye State, and to this day I've yet to meet anybody who isn't from Ohio who even knows what a buckeye is! For the record, it's a tree, but even that answer begs its own question: precisely how did Ohio become known for a tree nobody else has even heard of?

The Centennial State

This brings me back around to my current home base, Colorado. We all know that Colorado is known as the Centennial State, but why? What was it about the acknowledgement of the passing of 100 years that made Colorado say, "Yeah, that's us!"?

Well, according to some fun facts I found on the website for Colorado Christian University, it turns out that it wasn't our love of the passage of time that made us chose such a head-scratching nickname. No, our state nickname here in Colorado is actually an ode to America and our own patriotism.

Marking the passage of time...

Colorado became a state in 1876, which is precisely 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We became a state on the centennial of that momentous occasion. Hence, the Centennial State. Well, that was fairly straightforward!

While it isn't the most exciting story, how we got our state nickname, I do find a certain amount of pride in it. Calling Colorado the Centennial State inexorably connects us with the founding of this nation. I don't know about you, but I find that quite cool.

At the very least, we aren't named after an obscure tree. I'd say that's something to be proud of.

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