South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 23, 1788. 

South Carolina is known as the Palmetto State in honor of the Palmetto tree, but did you know that South Carolina was nicknamed the Iodine State at one point? South Carolina received this name due to the large percentage of iodine found in the vegetation growing in the state. 

Indigo Blue was designated as the official Color of the State by Act Number 200 of 2008. The purplish-blue-hued Indigo plant formed a significant part of the South Carolina economy from the late 1740s to the late 1790s. 

The 295-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson University was designated the State Botanical Garden by Act Number 288 of 1992. 

Blue Granite is a type of igneous rock that is one of the hardest substances in the world. The Blue Granite was designated as the official State Stone by Act Number 345 of 1969. Surprisingly, South Carolina was known to have been one of the nation's top producers of granite. 

The semi-precious quartz, Amethyst, was designated as the official State Gemstone by Act Number 345 of 1969. South Carolina is known to be the home to some of the world's highest-quality amethyst. 

The Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) was designated as the official State Fossil by Act Number 177 of 2014. The Columbian mammoth was named after Christopher Columbus. The discovery of fossilized mammoth teeth in a South Carolina swamp in 1725 was credited as the first scientific identification of a North American vertebrate fossil. 

The official State Poet Laureate was designated by Joint Resolution Number 736 of 1934. This resolution allows the Governor to appoint a Poet Laureate for the State. In 2003, former Governor Mark Sanford named Marjory Heath Wentworth as South Carolina's sixth Poet Laureate. 

Porgy and Bess was designated as the official Opera of the State by Act Number 94 of 2001. Porgy and Bess is an opera based on the novel Porgy written by South Carolina native Edwin Dubose Heyward. 

Beach Music was designated as the official State Popular Music by Act Number 15 of 2001. Beach music is primarily a rhythm and blues style based on 4/4 rhythms with a moderate to fast-paced tempo.