In 1777, the state capital was moved from New Castle to Dover because of its central location and relative safety from British raiders on the Delaware River.
The Delaware Blue Hen is a blue strain of American gamecock. It is one of three U.S. state birds that is not a species native to the United States.
The state takes its name from the nearby Delaware River, which is, in turn, named after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, an English nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor.
The horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) was officially adopted on June 25, 2002, in recognition of its importance and value in the medical field and as the principal food source for more than a million shore birds.
The Delaware quarter shows Caesar Rodney on his historic ride to Philadelphia. Rodney made the 80-mile ride on July 1, 1776, through terrible heat and thunderstorms to cast his vote in favor of Delaware signing the Declaration of Independence. Rodney's vote turned out to be the tie-breaker.
Delaware plays host to the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association's annual competition, in which nearly 50,000 spectators converge on the town of Bridgeville to watch teams use homemade devices to launch pumpkins as far as they can.
The "Ebright Azimuth" is only 447 feet above sea level, and it's right next to a sidewalk along a suburban street. In fact, the sidewalk has been cut around the disk that marks the spot. But it's still the highest natural point in the state of Delaware. The only state high-point with a lower elevation is Britton Hill in the state of Florida at 345 feet (105 m) above sea level.
This Swedish ship sailed from Goteborg, Sweden, and landed in what is now Delaware on March 29, 1638, bringing Europe's first permanent settlers to the Delaware Valley. Today its replica is docked at 7th Street in Wilmington.
The official state colors of Delaware are Colonial blue and buff, representing the uniform of General George Washington.
Because it bears fruit year-round, the American holly (Ilex opaca) is a valuable source of winter food for deer, squirrels, birds and other small animals.
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