Colorado Day 2021: History, Significance And Fun Facts About The 'Centennial State'

Colorado Day is celebrated on Aug. 1 each year to commemorate President Ulysses S. Grant's signing of a proclamation admitting Colorado as a state and this year's event marks the Centennial State's 145th "birthday."

This year, several businesses and establishments are offering deals and freebies to mark the occasion. History Colorado Center will be holding a "carnivalesque" gathering that offers over 20 attractions and will feature chalk artists, mascots and alpacas. Several museums will also be open Sunday, offering free admission for all guests.

Those who prefer a more outdoors experience may also enjoy the state’s natural beauty as the Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be offering free entrance to all 42 state parks on Aug. 2, though other fees such as camping and reservations are needed to be paid.

"Colorado Day is an opportunity for everyone to get outside and experience the diverse natural beauty and recreational activities that all of the 42 state parks have to offer," CPW Director Dan Prezlow said, as per KKCO11 News.

To celebrate this special day, let's look at some fun facts about Colorado. (Courtesy: Colorado Christian University (CCU), VisitTheUSA.com and Uncover Colorado)

1. Colorado is also called the "Centennial State" because it became a state in 1876, 100 years after the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
2. The first rodeo in the world was held in Deer Trail, Colorado on July 4, 1869.
3. The mountainous area of Colorado is six times the size of Switzerland.
4. People can be in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona at once in the Four Corners Monument. Found in the southwest corner of Colorado, it's said to be the only place in America where the corners of four states meet.
5. Colfax Avenue in Downtown Denver is the "longest continuous commercial street" in America.
6. Colorado's Grand Mesa is the largest flattop mountain in the world.
7. In 1976, Colorado declined the offer to host the Winter Olympics after citizens voted against it, saying it would be costly and bring pollution.
8. Of the United States' 91 mountain peaks that are over 14,000 feet, also called the "fourteeners," 56 are in Colorado.
9. Denver actually has an average of 300 days of sunshine each year, which is more than Miami Beach or San Diego.
10. The name Colorado is derived from the Spanish language and means "colored red" after the red silt in the Colorado River.
11. The world's largest natural hot springs pool is in Glenwood Springs. It also happens to be one of the hottest in the state.
12. Colorado is also where one can find the deepest hot spring in the world. This is the Mother Spring aquifer in Pagosa Springs, which is over 1,002 feet deep.
13. Colorado's capital, Denver, is called the "mile-high city" because it sits at exactly one mile above sea level.