Archimedes, the famed Greek mathematician, is said to have exclaimed "Eureka!" when, after long study, he discovered a method of determining the purity of gold. Although attempts were made in 1957 to establish "In God We Trust" as the state motto, it was "Eureka" that became the official state motto in 1963.

On the afternoon of July 10, 1913, the United States Weather Bureau recorded a high temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, which stands as the highest ambient air temperature ever recorded at the surface of the Earth.

The sign, which was erected in 1923, originally read "HOLLYWOODLAND". It was studded with around 4,000 light bulbs and flashed in segments, with "HOLLY," "WOOD," and "LAND" lighting up individually, and then as a whole. Although it was intended as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development, the sign was left up indefinitely due to its popularity.

Latham holds the distinction of having the shortest governorship in California history, lasting for five days between January 9 and January 14, 1860. He resigned from office after being elected by the legislature to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of David C. Broderick in a duel.

The redwood is the official state tree. Some of the giant redwoods in Sequoia National Park are more than 2,000 years old.

The RMS Queen Mary is a retired British ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic from 1936 to 1967. During World War II, the Queen Mary was converted into a troopship and ferried Allied soldiers. She was officially retired from service in 1967 and sailed to the port of Long Beach, California, where she remains permanently moored, serving as a restaurant, a museum and a hotel.

"The Golden State" has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968. It is particularly appropriate since California's modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848 and fields of golden poppies can be seen each spring throughout the state.

Silicon Valley, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. The word "silicon" in the name originally referred to the large number of innovators and manufacturers in the region specializing in silicon-based MOS transistors and integrated circuit chips.

Legendary entertainer Gene Autry is the only celebrity to have a star in all five Walk of Fame categories: film, TV, radio, live performance and music.

Also known as the flame flower and copa de oro (cup of gold), the California poppy grows wild throughout the state. Native Americans valued the poppy as a food source and for the oil extracted from the plant. It became the official state flower in 1903.