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Eureka. The State Motto that appears on the State Seal is the Greek word Eureka – which means “I have found it!” These famous words were supposed to have been uttered by the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes (c. 287-212 B.C.E.) when conducting an experiment to measure the specific gravity of gold.
The word Eureka (εύρηκα in Greek), meaning "I have found it", is the California state motto. The original design of the seal was by U.S. Army major Robert S. Garnett and engraved by Albert Kuner.
This motto was adopted in 1849 and reflects the spirit of the California Gold Rush. The term is attributed to Archimedes, the ancient Greek mathematician, who is said to have exclaimed "Eureka!" when he made a significant discovery.
California's state motto is "Eureka!" (made official in 1963); motto appears on the state seal; refers to the discovery of gold in California.
California’s state motto is the simple but telling “Eureka!”, was made official in 1963. The word eureka is Greek and translates to “I have found it.” It is most famously accredited to Archimedes who exclaimed “Eureka!” when he finally discovered a method to determine the purity of gold.
In 1957, attempts were made to establish 'In God We Trust' as the state motto, but 'Eureka' translated as: 'I have found it.' was made the official state motto in 1963. Includes meaning and focus.
Eureka, the Greek word found at the top of the Seal, means “I have found it.” Legend has it that the word was first uttered by an ancient Greek scientist over two thousand years ago. It is a fitting state motto for California and the golden wealth that was discovered among its mountains and rivers.
