California celebrates 170th birthday

(KYMA, KECY)-Happy 170th Birthday to California!

The United States Senator Dianne Feinstein tweeted Wednesday morning, "I'm proud of how far our state has come, growing to become the fifth largest economy in the world and a beacon of progress for our country."

Happy 170th birthday to California! On this day in 1850, California was admitted to the Union as the 31st state. I’m proud of how far our state has come, growing to become the fifth largest economy in the world and a beacon of progress for our country. https://t.co/E1DVcSQX7Q

— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) September 9, 2020

California was admitted on September 9, 1850, to the Union as the 31st state.

Here are some fun facts about California, according to the San Diego Tribune:

1) California is home to the highest point in the continental U.S. — the 14,494-foot Mt. Whitney.

2) It is also home to the lowest point in the continental U.S. — Death Valley, which drops down to 282 feet below sea level.

3) The fortune cookie was invented here. At least the Americanized version. Efforts to trace its origins into the past and across the Pacific Ocean have been difficult, as documented by The New York Times and The Smithsonian.

4) California is the only state to host the Summer and Winter Olympics.

5) Our state song? "I Love You California."