Sunday, June 7, 2026

Question: California’s one-word state motto dates back to the Gold Rush, and it would sound right at home coming from a prospector who’d just struck it rich. What is it?

Answer: Eureka, Greek for “I have found it.” The word has appeared on the California state seal since 1849, most likely as a nod to the discovery of gold, and it became the official state motto in 1963. It’s also the only U.S. state motto written in Greek.