State nicknames often arise from a state’s natural and geographic features or key aspects of its history, usually subject to legislative approval. Delaware earned its nickname—the “First State”—in 1787, but it didn’t become official until 2002, after a first grade class petitioned the Legislature. The Alabama Legislature anointed the state the “Heart of Dixie” in 1995, and California lawmakers approved the “Golden State” in 1968, more than a century after the gold rush that inspired it. Minnesota named itself the “North Star State” in 1861, but other nicknames have persisted, too, including the “Gopher State.” It arose from an 1859 political cartoon, and sports teams—think the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers—businesses and even a U.S. Navy ship have long used the name.
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