Arizona has the nickname of “The Valentine State” because it became a state on February 14, 1912.

Arizona is unique in many ways… it has dehydrated rivers, trees made of stone, cactus that blooms only at night, a bird that can run faster than it can fly, the only poisonous species of lizard in the nation, a river named Colorado that spends most of its time in Arizona, and a retirement community named Youngtown.  Fort Apache is in Navajo County and the city of Navajo is in Apache County.

The last volcanic eruption in Arizona occurred at Sunset Crater near Flagstaff in A.D. 1064.

After Arizona was admitted to the Union in 1912, the citizens chose Ditat Deus (“God Enriches”) as their motto, the saguaro blossom as state flower, the paloverde as state tree, and the cactus wren as state bird.

Arizona’s state flower, the blossom of the saguaro cactus, was probably chosen because the saguaro cactus is so unique.  The saguaro is the largest cactus in the world and the only place they “naturally” grow is within 150 miles of Phoenix-Scottsdale, Arizona.  They grow to over 40 feet tall at a rate of only 9 inches every 10 years.  Arizona law mandates an automatic year in jail for anyone caught removing (stealing) or intentionally destroying a saguaro.

In 1862, Arizona briefly became a Confederate Territory with the westernmost battle of the Civil War occurring at Picacho Peak.

Barry Goldwater of Phoenix, Arizona was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1952 and was the Republican candidate for President in 1964.

In 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor, from a ranch near Duncan, Arizona, was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.