State mottos explained

Your state has a motto, here's what it actually means

A motto is part of a state's identity, much like a nickname or a famous landmark, and is often born from a real moment in history. Take Kansas, whose motto "Ad astra per aspera" ("To the stars through difficulties") nods to its rocky road to statehood. Or Virginia's "Sic semper tyrannis" ("Thus always to tyrants"), a phrase with a dramatic afterlife nobody saw coming. Let's dig into 10 of these mottos and the history that shaped them.

This one means "to the stars through difficulties," and it fits Kansas like a glove. The phrase was adopted in 1861, the same year Kansas became a state after years of violent conflict known as "Bleeding Kansas," where pro- and anti-slavery settlers clashed.

Written by John James Ingalls, it reminds Kansans that their state was forged through real struggle: hardship before triumph.

"Thus always to tyrants" sounds dramatic, and it is. Adopted in 1776 as Virginia broke from British rule, it celebrates the overthrow of oppressive power. Ironically, it became infamous in 1865 when John Wilkes Booth shouted it after assassinating Lincoln.

Virginians today still see it as a proud statement against tyranny, despite that dark historical footnote.

Meaning "ever upward," this motto was adopted in 1778, shortly after New York became a state, appearing on its seal. It reflects ambition and progress, a fitting message for a state built on skyscrapers and big dreams. New Yorkers still embrace it as a nod to reaching higher, no matter the obstacle.

"I have found it!" was adopted as California's motto around the Gold Rush era of 1849, officially made law in 1963. It captures the thrill of prospectors striking gold in the hills, and more broadly, the spirit of discovery and opportunity that drew millions west.

Perhaps the boldest motto in the country, this phrase came from Revolutionary War general John Stark, who wrote it in an 1809 toast to his old soldiers. It became the official state motto in 1945. It's stamped on license plates, embodying New Hampshire's fierce independent streak.

Translated as "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness," this motto comes from a powerful moment: in 1843, King Kamehameha III spoke these words after Britain briefly seized Hawaii and then restored its sovereignty. It's a celebration of justice winning out, and it remains deeply meaningful to Native Hawaiian identity today.

This mouthful translates to "let the welfare of the people be the supreme law." Adopted in 1822 when Missouri joined the Union, it’s borrowed from Roman statesman Cicero. It reminds citizens that the government exists to serve the people first; a principle still cited in political debates about public good today.

Meaning "to be, rather than to seem," this motto was officially adopted in 1893, borrowed from Cicero once again. It champions authenticity over image: valuing genuine character over putting on a show. For North Carolinians, it's a point of quiet pride: substance matters more than flash, a value many still hold dear today.

"Let it be perpetual" was adopted in 1867, years before Idaho even became a state in 1890. The phrase is borrowed from a 17th-century Venetian friar named Paolo Sarpi, said when Venice's independence was threatened. For Idaho, it's a hopeful wish that the state, and its freedoms, will endure forever.

Loosely translated as "strong deeds, gentle words," this Italian phrase traces back to the coat of arms of the Calvert family, Maryland's founding Lords Baltimore, and was formally adopted in 1874. It suggests that actions should speak louder than talk: a value Marylanders still nod to with quiet pride.

If it rhymes, it must be true

"Because it's there": The 10 most poetic answers to concrete questions

History is full of memorable questions, but every so often, someone answers in a way that outlives the question itself. Whether spoken on a mountain, a battlefield, in a prison, or in the halls of government, these replies became famous because they condensed courage, wit, conviction, or wisdom into just a few unforgettable words. Discover 10 real exchanges in which a simple answer became part of history because of the beautiful way in which it was expressed.

British mountaineer George Mallory offered this famously concise reply during a 1923 interview before another attempt on Mount Everest, then the only major summit that had never been conquered, to the question "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" His three words expressed the human desire to explore simply because something remains unexplored.

Mallory disappeared on Everest with fellow climber Andrew "Sandy" Irvine in June 1924, and historians still debate whether they reached the summit before dying. His answer became one of the defining quotations of exploration and later inspired John F. Kennedy's case for going to the Moon.

In 1897, newspapers mistakenly reported that Mark Twain had died while he was living in London. When a reporter contacted him to verify the rumor, the celebrated author responded with the dry wit that had made him America's best-known humorist.

Although the exact wording varies slightly among contemporary accounts, the sentence quickly became one of the most quoted lines in English. More than a century later, it remains the perfect comeback whenever rumors spread faster than the truth.

President John F. Kennedy answered the question "Why go to the Moon?" during his celebrated speech at Rice University in Houston on September 12, 1962. Rather than emphasizing technology or national prestige, he argued that difficult goals reveal the best qualities of a nation.

In the same address, Kennedy even referenced George Mallory's explanation for climbing Everest, linking mountaineering with space exploration. Seven years later, Apollo 11 fulfilled the challenge by landing the first humans on the Moon.

Abraham Lincoln was frequently criticized during the Civil War for showing compassion toward former enemies instead of seeking revenge. Rather than defending himself with a lengthy argument, he replied with a rhetorical question that completely reframed the criticism.

The answer reflected Lincoln's belief that reconciliation could achieve what military victory alone never could. It has endured as one of history's most elegant expressions of forgiveness, leadership, and political wisdom.

After becoming, with Tenzing Norgay, the first confirmed climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, Edmund Hillary continued exploring some of the world's most remote places. His curiosity never disappeared simply because one great goal had been achieved.

When asked why he kept climbing, Hillary's understated reply reflected the modest personality that made him admired far beyond mountaineering. Like George Mallory before him, he suggested that true explorers climb because exploration itself is the reward.

During the Battle of Flamborough Head in 1779, Captain John Paul Jones commanded the badly damaged Bonhomme Richard against the British warship Serapis. With his vessel burning and close to sinking, the British demanded that he surrender.

Jones's refusal instantly rallied his crew, who fought on and eventually captured the enemy ship. Whether recorded word for word or slightly embellished over time, the reply became one of the most celebrated declarations of courage in naval history.

Ancient writers tell that Alexander the Great visited the philosopher Diogenes in Corinth and generously offered to grant him any wish. Instead of requesting wealth, power, or honors, Diogenes simply asked the conqueror to stop blocking the sunshine.

The exchange became one of antiquity's most enduring philosophical anecdotes. In a single sentence, Diogenes demonstrated that a person who desires almost nothing cannot easily be controlled, even by the most powerful ruler on Earth.

According to one ancient tradition, Alexander the Great was asked the question "To whom do you leave your kingdom?" as he lay dying in Babylon in 323 BC. Rather than naming a specific heir, he reportedly answered with two words that left the future of his empire completely uncertain.

Whether historically exact or not, the reply became inseparable from Alexander's legend. Without an undisputed successor, his generals fought for decades in the Wars of the Diadochi, dividing one of history's greatest empires into rival kingdoms.

These words close Invictus, the 1875 poem by English writer William Ernest Henley. Nelson Mandela often drew strength from the poem during his imprisonment under South Africa's apartheid regime, where he spent 27 years behind bars, and used it to reply to a reporter who asked: "How do you survive 27 years in prison without losing your dignity?"

By embracing Henley's verse, Mandela transformed it into a universal symbol of resilience and inner freedom. The quotation came to embody his belief that while others may control your circumstances, they cannot govern your spirit.

Louis Armstrong was asked countless times by journalists to explain jazz, a genre that transformed American music during the twentieth century. Rather than describing technical aspects or blues traditions, he dismissed the very idea that jazz could be reduced to a definition.

His poetic and somewhat annoyed answer suggests that some experiences can only be understood by living them. More than a clever reply, it became one of the most quoted observations in music history.