The state animal of California is the grizzly bear, but they have been extinct in the state since 1922.

The Golden Gate Bridge, located in San Francisco, was painted orange to increase its visibility in foggy weather. However, early in it’s history it was painted in black and yellow stripes.

In 1851, San Francisco had a law that prohibited people from walking across the street while eating ice cream.

California is the only state in the U.S. to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

The Hollywood sign originally read “Hollywoodland” and was built in 1923 as an advertisement for a real estate development.

In the 1850s, San Francisco had a municipal law that allowed citizens to legally challenge each other to a duel.

California has the world’s largest three-dimensional map, called the “Earthscape,” which covers an area of over 43,000 square feet.

California is home to the world’s largest thermometer, which stands at 134 feet tall and is located in Baker, California.

California is home to the world’s largest tree by volume, the General Sherman Tree, which is over 2,000 years old.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame features over 2,600 stars honoring celebrities in entertainment.

In 1913, California experienced the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States at Furnace Creek Ranch, reaching 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.6 Celsius).

San Francisco’s Lombard Street is known as the “crookedest street in the world.”

The first McDonald’s restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California in 1940.

In 2016, California became the first state to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals.

The highest mountain peak in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, is located in California. Death Valley, the lowest point in the United States is also in California.

The world’s largest living tree by volume, the General Sherman Tree, is located in Sequoia National Park.

The state motto of California is “Eureka,” which means “I have found it.”

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, was built by the heiress of the Winchester Rifle fortune and features over 160 rooms. She was convinced if she quit adding to the house, she would die.

California has the largest agricultural output of any state in the United States.