Todays is June 20th and in 1863 on this date West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union<br /><div align='center'><img src="http://wvweb.com/www/government/sealfron.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /><br /><b>State Animal</b><br />The Black Bear, or Ursus americanus, <br /><br /><b>State Bird </b><br />The Cardinal <br /><br /><b>State Butterfly </b><br />The Monarch Butterfly <br /><br /><b>State Fish </b><br />The Brook Trout<br /><br /><b>State Flag <br /></b><img src="http://www.50states.com/flag/image/nunst100.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" /><br /><br /><b>State Flower</b><br />The Rhododendron maximum, or &quot;big laurel,&quot; is the state flower. <br /><br /><b>State Fruit </b><br />Golden Delicious Apple. <br /><br /><b>State Tree </b><br />The Sugar Maple<br /><br /><b>State Nickname</b><br />&quot;The Mountain State&quot;<br /><br /><b>State Songs</b> <!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->side note as a child the focasus for the children in schools to learn was the West Virginia Hills<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><br /><i>The West Virginia Hills</i>, words and music by Ellen King and H.E. Engle; <i>This is My West Virginia</i>, by Iris Bell; and <i>West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home </i>by Julian G. Hearne, Jr. Adopted by the Legislature as official songs February 28, 1963.<br /><br /><b>Official Colors</b><br />Old Gold and Blue were designated as Official State Colors on March 8, 1963.<br /><br />if I can steal a phrase from Paul Harvey...&quot;and now you know ...the rest of the story&#33;&#33;&quot; </div>