August 6, 2007 

If you missed celebrating Colorado Day on the 1st, you can still enjoy some free outdoor time in some of the best spots in our wonderful state.  On Monday, August 6, all Colorado State Parks will honor Colorado’s birthday with free admission.

Here are a few bits of trivia about Colorado’s history to toss around next time you want to show off your knowledge of our state:

How many people lived here around the time Colorado became a state (1876)?

According to the 1870 census, Colorado had 39,864 residents.  The Census Bureau estimates our population as of 2006 to be 4,753,377.

What was the first year that “Colorado Day” was officially celebrated?

1907

What’s with the State Parks picking the first Monday of the month instead of August 1?

Maybe they’re going with tradition, albeit a short tradition.  In 1967, the state legistlature changed Colorado Day to be officially celebrated on the 1st Monday of August, and that became an official legal holiday in 1973, complete with closing of courts and other state offices.  But then, in 1988, they decided there were too many holidays, and it became a “commemorative” holiday.  A few entities (such as the State Parks) still make a bit of a fuss over the date, but not many do. 

We know we’re a high-altitude state, but just how high are we?

The state contains 75% of the land in our country above 10,000 feet.

How about a few more tidbits of trivia?

Colorado was the second state in the union to give women the right to vote. Wyoming was first.

Grand Mesa is the world’s largest flat-top mountain.

Cheeseburgers were invented in Denver (or at least it was a Denver man who was granted a trademark for the “Cheeseburger”

The tallest (over 700 feet) and highest elevation (~8,690′) Sand Dunes in North America are in Great Sand Dunes National Park.