Whether you've lived your entire life in Arizona or you're just here snow-birding while you wait for the snow to melt in Minnesota, Arizona is pretty special. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about Arizona, just in case you need even more reasons to love it here.

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1. Arizona is America's Valentine

On February 14th most of us are focused on love, falling under the spell of Hallmark. Forget all that mushy love-stuff and celebrate our birthday instead.

What birthday, you might be asking. Well, Arizona's, of course. Didn't know February 14th was Arizona's birthday? Read on, my friend.

Valentine's Day in Arizona is extra special. Not because we're particularly focused on love or Spring or anything like that. We're especially fond of Valentine's Day here in Arizona because it's our birthday!

That's right! According to Wikipedia, "Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912."

The Grand Canyon. Canva
The Grand Canyon. Canva
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2. Arizona is Home to Natural Wonders and One of Our First National Parks

Take a drive around Arizona and you'll run into natural wonders found nowhere else on the planet. We're all familiar with the Grand Canyon and if you've never seen it for yourself, believe me when I say words and photographs will never do it justice. To say it's breathtaking somehow doesn't seem strong enough to encompass the amazing feeling of standing on the rim.

Did you know the Grand Canyon made history another way, too? Wikipedia says, "The [Grand] [C]anyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park – one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of designating the Grand Canyon area as a National Park, often visiting to...enjoy the scenery."

Meteor Crater. Canva
Meteor Crater. Canva
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3. Arizona's OTHER Hole in the Ground

The Colorado River cut the channel we now know as the Grand Canyon over millennia, but Arizona boasts another natural hole in the ground, this one created by a very different natural event.

Considered one of the most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world, Barringer Meteorite Crater, better known as "Meteor Crater", was discovered created some 50,000 years ago. This giant, extinction-sized crater is basically an impressively large hole in the ground on the Colorado Plateau. The crater is located approximately 25 miles west of Winslow, Arizona. (The same Winslow, Arizona the Eagles mention 'standing on the corner' of).

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4. Arizona in Song

Speaking of Winslow, Arizona and the Eagles, they're not the only band to mention an Arizona city in one of their songs. Arizona has made its way into song lyrics often in the last few decades.

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From the Beatles, Get Back, where they mention Jojo exiting his home in Tucson, Arizona to head out to California, for some, ahem, "herbal refreshment", to the Chainsmokers and Halsey who called our attention to, "That Blink-182 song that we beat to death in Tucson".

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And Tucson's not the only city that gets some lyrical love. The Steve Miller Band, "went from Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma" in their song Keep on Rockin' Me.

Okay, why are people just passing through our beautiful cities? They're pretty fabulous, if you ask me. Stick around a while and see why.

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5.  All the Way from Arizona

Did you know Arizona has given the world some pretty amazing musicians across many genres of music.

I once worked on Fort Huachuca with a woman who grew up living across the street from Vincent Furnier and his family in Phoenix. Vince later became the shock rocker we know as Alice Cooper. Here's a short list artists and bands who started here in Arizona:

Whether you're celebrating your love of Arizona, your love of music or just celebrating the fact you live in the most beautiful state in the world, enjoy Arizona - the true Valentine to our nation.

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