New Hampshire—The Granite State (9)
Capital: Concord
Admitted into Union: June 21, 1788
State Flower: Purple Lilac
State Tree: White birch
State Bird: Purple Finch
State Animal: White-Tailed Deer
Population: 1.2 million

Assertive independence: The state motto “Live free or die” was first penned by the Revolutionary War hero Gen. John Stark. In the spirit of free thought, the Union’s first free public library was opened in 1833 in Peterborough. Organize your own revolution, personal or otherwise, with our roomyNew Hampshire Messenger Bag.

Mixed identity. For 38 years, New Hampshire was a part of Massachusetts. It was made a separate colony in 1679.

Colonial upstart: New Hampshire was the first of the 13 colonies to declare its independence from England—three weeks before the Declaration of Independence was signed. New Hampshire delegates had the honor of being the first to vote for it on July 4, 1776.

Whoops! The famous natural granite formation "Old Man of the Mountain" is the state's official emblem and measures 40 feet from chin to forehead. In 2003, the Old Man fell from his perch in Franconia.

Women honored: At Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, the Memorial Bell Tower (designed by Norman Rockwell) is dedicated to military and civilian women who died serving their country. New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, who died in 1986 in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger a mere 78 seconds after takeoff, has a planetarium named after her in Concord.

Whoosh! The highest wind speed recorded on earth was at Mt. Washington, in April 1934, some three times faster than most hurricanes.

Baaa! Sarah Josepha Hale, author and journalist from Newport, wrote the poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in 1830.

Wake up call: In 1787, Levi Hutchins of Concord invented the first alarm clock.

Famous New Hampshirites: Daniel Webster, Franklin Pierce, Horace Greeley, Robert Frost, Alan Shepard, John Irving, Christa McAuliffe, John Langdon.