ALABAMA

English 1
 IN 2002, ALABAMA WITNESSED A SPECTACULAR
CELESTIAL EVENT WHEN A METEOR SHOWER LIT
UP THE NIGHT SKY, INSPIRING THE POPULAR
PHRASE "THE STARS FELL ON ALABAMA." THE
EVENT WAS SO EXTRAORDINARY THAT IT WAS
REPORTED IN NEWSPAPERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
WITH MANY DESCRIBING IT AS A "ONCE-IN-A-
LIFETIME" EXPERIENCE. THE METEORS WERE SEEN
AS FAR AWAY AS GEORGIA AND TENNESSEE, AND
SOME EVEN IN FLORIDA. THE RAIN WAS SO HEAVY
THAT IT WAS EVEN VISIBLE DURING THE DAY,
DESCRIBED BY SOME AS A "RAIN OF F
IRE."

ALABAMA IS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS

THE "HEART OF DIXIE" DUE TO ITS RICH
HISTORY AND CULTURE. ALTHOUGH THIS
NICKNAME IS NOT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED,
THE STATE ALSO GOES BY THE NAMES
"YELLOWHAMMER STATE" AND "COTTON
STATE", BOTH DERIVED FROM ITS
AGRICULTURAL ROOTS. THE YELLOW
HAMMERHEAD IS THE STATE BIRD, AND
COTTON IS ONE OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT
CROPS. ALABAMA IS A STATE STEEPED IN
HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND ITS NICKNAMES
ARE PROOF OF THAT.

Rosanna Almanzar García A00052517

 • ALABAMA IS A STATE FULL OF NATURAL
ON DECEMBER 14, 1819, ALABAMA
OFFICIALLY BECAME THE 22ND STATE OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS
MOMENTOUS MOMENT MARKED THE
CULMINATION OF A LONG AND ARDUOUS
JOURNEY FOR THE STATE, WHICH HAD BEEN
PART OF THE MISSISSIPPI TERRITORY SINCE
1798. AFTER MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF
PETITIONING AND LOBBYING, ALABAMA
WAS FINALLY GRANTED STATEHOOD, AND
THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE THEY
CELEBRATED WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM.
BEAUTY, WITH THE CAMELLIA AS THE STATE
FLOWER, THE LONGLEAF PINE AS THE STATE
TREE, THE PECAN AS THE STATE WALNUT, AND
THE YELLOW HAMMERHEAD AS THE STATE
BIRD. CAMELLIA IS A SHRUB WITH WHITE,
PINK AND RED FLOWERS, WHILE LONGLEAF
PINE IS A TALL EVERGREEN TREE WITH
NEEDLES UP TO 45CM LONG. THE PECAN IS A
TYPE OF NUT NATIVE TO THE SOUTHEASTERN
UNITED STATES, AND THE YELLOW HAMMER IS
A SPECIES OF WOODPECKER WITH A BRIGHT
YELLOW HEAD AND BREAST.

Rosanna Almanzar García A00052517