The fifteenth state to enter the United States is Kentucky on June 1, 1792. Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State. This is due to the large patches of grass growing on lawns, farms, and pastures in which blue-purple buds blooming help add a bluish tint during the spring.
Kentucky’s state flag was adopted in 1918, although the design was not finalized until 1928 and changed again in 1962. The state’s flag has a navy blue background with the Kentucky state seal emblazoned on the center. Inside the seal, a pioneer and a statesman are shaking hands with the words United We Stand on top and United We Fall below them. Outside the state seal in yellow letters reads Commonwealth of Kentucky and below are two goldenrod flowers.
Kentucky is actually the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, who was the 16th President of the United States from 1861-1865. He was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin. He lived here with his family until 1816 when the Lincolns picked up and moved to Indiana.
While one of Kentucky’s most well-known cities is Louisville, the state capital is actually Frankfort. It became the state capitol in 1792 after pledging more manpower of a statehouse than any other city. According to the Kentucky state website (2009), Frankfort’s population is slightly less than 30,000 while Louisville and the Louisville metro area’s population is reported to be 1,556,429.
Famous Races: Kentucky is home to the Kentucky Derby which is the oldest annual horse race in the US. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
State Name: The name Kentucky came from the Iroquois word “Ken-tah-hen” which translates to “land of tomorrow”.