Before you bring your students to California, it might help to determine how familiar they are with the Golden State. Below are 5 bits of trivia questions each about California’s American history, landmarks, people, and economy.
State History
Most people are familiar with California’s Gold Rush, but here are a few more interesting tidbits from its history…
- 1.) Before becoming the 31st U.S. state, California was an independent country for a little less than a month. Officially called the Republic of California, it was generally referred to as the Bear Flag Republic due to its grizzly bear flag.
- 2.) Today we know Los Angeles as the center of the pop culture, social media, and film industry. In fact, the first movie theater here opened in 1902.
- 3.) On January 24th, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in Sutter’s Mill near Colma, California. This set off what became known as the California Gold Rush. At a time when the nation’s population was just over 20 million, the Gold Rush brought over 300,000 people to the state.
- 4.) During the Great Depression in the 1930s, not a single bank in San Francisco went bankrupt. Some people point to lessons learned by the banks after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Regardless of the reason, banking in San Francisco was so successful during the Great Depression that it helped finance the Golden Gate Bridge during that period.
- 5.) The Hollywood Bowl was opened in 1922 and can seat 18,000 people. At the time, that made it the largest amphitheater in the United States.
- 6.) Livermore, California is home to the longest-burning lightbulb in the world. Known today as the Centennial Bulb, it was first turned on in June of 1901 and has only been off a handful of times since. It even has a dedicated web camera so people can check in online to see if it’s still on.
Landmarks
Looking for famous landmarks? There’s more to California than just the Hollywood Sign and Yosemite’s Half-Dome…
- 1.) Groveland, California is home to the state’s oldest saloon, the Iron Door Saloon, which was built in 1852.
- 2.) The world’s oldest active sailing ship, The Star of India, is housed in San Diego and is still seaworthy today. Having launched just 5 days before Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address in Pennsylvania, this little iron-hulled sailing vessel has circled the globe 21 times! Each summer a crew of volunteers takes it back out into the ocean for another adventure.
- 3.) The world’s largest geothermal field is based in Sonoma County. The Geysers, as the field is called, is over 30 square miles. People have been taking advantage of natural steam baths for hundreds of years. They’ve been visited by the likes of Ulysses S Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and even Mark Twain.
- 4.) California houses nine different national parks, making it the state with the most national parks in the country. Some of them are well-known throughout the country, like Yosemite, Yellowstone National Park Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Sagarmatha where Mount Everest is located. Some of them, like the Channel Islands or Lassen Volcanic National Park, are much less visited, but no less amazing!
- 5.) California’s Sequoia National Park houses the world’s largest tree, General Sherman, which stands at a whopping 275 feet tall and 36 feet around at the base. The tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion, at over 380 feet tall. Being a Coastal Redwood, it’s not as thick as a Sequoia, so it can’t quite claim the title of largest. It can be found somewhere in California’s Redwood National Park, but the location is kept secret to protect it from damage caused by visitors.
- 6.) California is home to the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States. Mount Whitney, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, is the highest point at 14,505 feet above sea level, while Badwater Basin in Death Valley is the lowest point at 279 feet below sea level.
Social Studies
- 1.) California boasts roughly 40 million residents. That’s ⅛ the population of the entire U.S., and more than the smallest 88 countries' populations combined!
- 2.) One in every 4 Californians was not born in the US, making it one of the most racially diverse states in the country. After English being number 1 for languages next comes Spanish, then Chinese.
- 3.) Los Angeles is the most populous U.S. city in California with nearly 4 million residents, Many theme parks, and the infamous Disneyland where you can find rides created after your favorite Disney movies!
- 4.) California’s state motto is “Eureka!” Roughly translated from Greek, it means “I have found it!”
- 5.) Fallbrook, California, in San Diego County is the “Avocado Capital of the World” and hosts an annual avocado festival.
- 6.) The city of San Francisco has more dogs than children. While it’s estimated that there are over 150,000 dogs in the city, at last count, there were around 130,00 people under the age of 18
Economics
If California was a country, its economy would be 5th in the world, coming in just ahead of India, the UK, Canada, and Australia. As it is, California is responsible for almost 15% of the nation's GDP. That’s more than Texas, New York City, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky, Utah, Hawaii, and Alaska.
- 1.) California’s top export is almonds, the majority of which are grown in the Central Valley, also known as the almond capital of the world. California grows 82% of the world’s almonds.
- 2.) California was the first state to reach $1 trillion in GDP around the world.
- 3.) California produces almost 700 million gallons of wine each new year. That’s more than ¾ of North America’s total wine production.
- 4.) Fresno is the raisin capital of the world. All of America’s raisins are grown in a 60-mile car ride around the city.
- 5.) In the city of Norco, if you’d like to have a rhinoceros as a pet, you must first pay a $100 licensing fee.
To explore the places mentioned in these fun facts, schedule your next class trip with GL Travel!