Introduction

One of the most important characteristics to give to an OC is a birthday. When it comes to OCs personifying the 50 States of America, the date of their statehood is commonly referred to as their birthday. But for a long time, I've never listed birthdays for my OCs due to disagreement with that notion.

Truthfully, the birthdays of personified regions don't necessarily equate to the date that brought about their existence. For example, America's roots can be traced to the founding of Jamestown and the Thirteen American Colonies, yet their birthday is generally accepted to be July 4th due to its historical significance to the country. The same can be said for the 50 States. While I don't deny the importance of statehood to many states, I've read and understood some states celebrate another date that's more meaningful to their identity.

After some research and reconsideration on the topic, I've decided to finally list the birthdays of my 50 States OCs, including Washington D.C. and the U.S. Territories. Their significance will be explained in short detail. Just know not everyone's birthday is the same as their statehood, and that this list may be subject to change. Disagreement is fine as long as it's respectful. Overall, I hope y'all like this addition to their characterization.

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+ Delaware: December 7

- December 7, 1787: The day the state ratified the U.S. Constitution to become the first state of the Union. It's also a state observation called Delaware Day.

A/N: Originally, I considered making their birthday close to around the day it was founded or when it separated from Pennsylvania, but I decided to go with the date of their statehood due to its importance to the state's identity.

+ Pennsylvania: February 28

- February 28, 1681: The day Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn, naming the land after William Penn's father.

+ New Jersey: June 24

- June 24, 1664: The day the Duke of York (later known as King James II) issued a royal grant to Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton, naming the region after Carteret's ancestral home of Jersey. It's also called New Jersey Day.

+ Georgia: February 12

- February 12, 1713: The day James Oglethorpe and the first settlers settled in Savannah, Georgia. It's also a state holiday called Georgia Day.

+ Connecticut: May 1

- May 1, 1662: The day King Charles II granted a charter that merged a group of settlements with the Colony of Connecticut.

A/N: Originally, I considered making their birthday March 3rd, the day the Colony of Connecticut was organized in 1636.

+ Massachusetts: April 19

- April 19, 1775: The day the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place in the American Revolutionary War. It's also a holiday called Patriots' Day (not to be confused with Patriot Day).

A/N: Other dates I considered for their birthday included various days in March based on the formation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Still, I feel Patriots' Day is more meaningful considering how much it's celebrated in the state.

+ Maryland: March 25

- March 25, 1634: The day the first Europeans arrived in the Province of Maryland. It's also a state holiday called Maryland Day.

+ South Carolina: June 28

- June 28, 1776: The day the Battle of Sullivan Island took place where a small band of South Carolina patriots defeated the British Royal Navy. It's also a minor state holiday called Carolina Day.

A/N: While I acknowledge this isn't the date of South Carolina's creation, I like to think my South Carolina OC changed their birthday, just so they don't have to share a birthday with their sister.

+ New Hampshire: January 5

- January 5, 1776: The day the Provincial Congress of New Hampshire ratified the first-in-the-nation state constitution.

+ Virginia: May 14

- May 14, 1607: The day Jamestown was founded as the first permanent settlement in British North America.

+ New York: September 8

- September 8, 1664: The day New Amsterdam surrendered to British Colonel Richard Nicolls who proceeded to rename it, New York, after the Duke of York.

+ North Carolina: January 24

- January 24, 1712: The day the Province of Carolina split into North Carolina and South Carolina.

+ Rhode Island: May 4

- May 4, 1776: The day Rhode Island declared its independence from Great Britain before the rest of the nation. It's also a state holiday called Rhode Island Independence Day.

+ Vermont: January 15

- January 15, 1777: The day the region declared its independence from neighboring British colonies.

A/N: Originally, I considered making their birthday June 2nd, the day the name "Vermont" was adopted for the republic in 1777.

+ Kentucky: June 1

- June 1, 1792: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a public observance celebrated in both Kentucky and Tennessee called Statehood Day.

+ Tennessee: June 1

- June 1, 1796: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a local observance celebrated in both Tennessee and Kentucky called Statehood Day.

+ Ohio: March 1

- March 1, 1803: The day the Ohio General Assembly first convened upon the state's admission to the Union.

A/N: Some states celebrate his birthday on August 7th as a joke to annoy him.

+ Louisiana: April 9

- April 9, 1682: The day French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the Mississippi River basin for France, giving it the name La Louisiane.

+ Indiana: December 11

- December 11, 1816: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a state holiday called Indiana Day.

+ Mississippi: April 7

- April 7, 1798: The day the Territory of Mississippi was organized.

+ Illinois: February 3

- February 3, 1809: The day the Territory of Illinois was organized. Coincidentally, Abraham Lincoln was born that same month and year. In my opinion, it seemed appropriate.

+ Alabama: December 14

- December 14, 1819: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a state holiday called Alabama Day.

+ Maine: March 15

- March 15, 1820: The day Maine formally seceded from Massachusetts and became a state of the Union.

+ Missouri: October 1

- October 1, 1826: The day Jefferson City became the capital of the state. It was originally a state observance called Missouri Day until the Missouri Legislature moved the holiday to the third Wednesday in October.

A/N: Another reason Missouri Day takes place in October is a reference to Mark Twain noting that "Missouri is at her best in October."

+ Arkansas: June 15

- June 15, 1836: The day the state was admitted to the Union.

+ Michigan: January 26

- January 26, 1837: The day the state was admitted to the Union.

+ Florida: April 2

- April 2, 1513: The day Juan Ponce de León discovered the Florida peninsula. It's also a state holiday called Pascua Florida Day.

+ Texas: March 2

- March 2, 1836: The day the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. It's also a partial staffing holiday in the state called Texas Independence Day.

+ Iowa: December 28

- December 28, 1846: The day the state was admitted to the Union.

+ Wisconsin: February 15

- February 15, 2019: The day the governor of Wisconsin proclaimed its observance as National Wisconsin Day.

A/N: Normally, I disregard the National Day Calendar due to their National State Days not making sense, nor are they official. But much to my surprise, National Wisconsin Day has officially become recognized in the state since 2019. I would've probably gone with May 29th, their statehood date, instead.

+ California: September 9

- September 9, 1850: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a legal holiday in the state called California Admission Day.

+ Minnesota: May 11

- May 11, 1858: The day the state was admitted to the Union.

+ Oregon: August 14

- August 14, 1848: The day the Territory of Oregon was organized.

+ Kansas: January 29

- January 29, 1861: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a state holiday called Kansas Day.

+ West Virginia: June 20

- June 20, 1863: The day the region seceded from Virginia and became a state of the Union. It's also a state holiday called West Virginia Day.

+ Nevada: October 31

- October 31, 1864: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a legal holiday in the state called Nevada Day.

+ Nebraska: April 10

- April 10, 1872: The day the first Arbor Day was celebrated in the state.

A/N: I chose that date due to its significance to the state's identity, formerly nicknamed The Tree Planters' State.

+ Colorado: August 1

- August 1, 1876: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also an annual observance in the state called Colorado Day.

+ North Dakota: November 2

- November 2, 1889: The day North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union.

+ South Dakota: November 2

- November 2, 1889: The day South Dakota and North Dakota were admitted to the Union.

+ Montana: April 6

- April 6 (no specific year): The date is a reference to Montana's area code. It's called 406 Day or Montana Day, and it's an unofficial celebration in the state.

+ Washington: November 11

- November 11, 1889: The day the state was admitted to the Union.

+ Idaho: March 4

- March 4, 1890: The day President Abraham Lincoln signed an act creating the Territory of Idaho. It's also an annual celebration in the state called Idaho Day.

A/N: Technically, the Territory of Idaho was organized by Congress on March 3, 1863. With that aside, I wouldn't know why they didn't commemorate their statehood as Idaho Day.

+ Wyoming: December 10

- December 10, 1869: The day John Campbell, governor of the Wyoming Territory, approved the first law in U.S. history explicitly granting women the right to vote. Since 1935, it has been commemorated as Wyoming Day.

+ Utah: July 24

- July 24, 1847: The day Brigham Young led the first Mormon pioneers to Salt Lake Valley. It's also an official holiday in the state called Pioneer Day.

+ Oklahoma: April 22

- April 22, 1889: The day the Territory of Oklahoma opened to European-American settlement. It's also a local holiday in the state called Oklahoma Day.

+ New Mexico: July 12

- July 12, 1598: The day Spanish explorers established the New Spain colony of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.

+ Arizona: February 14

- February 14, 1912: The day the state was admitted to the Union. It's also a local observance in the state called Statehood Day.

+ Alaska: October 18

- October 18, 1867: The day the Territory of Alaska was formally transferred from Russia to the United States. It's also a legal holiday in the state called Alaska Day.

+ Hawaii: June 11

- June 11, 1872: The day the first celebration of King Kamehameha Day was held in honor of Kamehameha the Great for unifying the Hawaiian Islands. It continues to be celebrated as a public holiday in the state.

A/N: I'm aware August 21st is Hawaii's Statehood Day. However, that date is problematic to some Hawaiians due to its implications with American imperialism. Therefore, I chose a date that wasn't as controversial.

+ Washington D.C.: July 9

- July 9, 1790: The day Congress passed the Residence Act, approving the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River.

+ American Samoa: April 17

- April 17, 1900: The day the Treaty of Cession of Tutuila was signed between several chiefs of Tutuila (the main island of American Samoa) and the United States. It's also a public holiday in the territory called American Samoa Flag Day.

+ Guam: March 6

- March 6, 1521: The day Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sighted the island. It's also a public holiday in the territory called Guam Discovery Day (aka Guam History and Chamorro Day).

+ Northern Mariana Islands: March 24

- March 24, 1976: The day the islands effectively became a commonwealth under a covenant with the United States rather than become an independent nation. It's also a public holiday in the territory called Commonwealth Covenant Day.

A/N: Other dates I considered choosing for their birthday included January 9th and December 8th.

+ Puerto Rico: November 19

- November 19, 1493: The day Christopher Columbus discovered the island. It's also an official holiday in the territory called Discovery Day.

+ U.S. Virgin Islands: March 31

- March 31, 1917: The day the islands were transferred from Denmark to the United States. It's also a holiday in the territory called Transfer Day.

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Below is an alternate list showing their birthdays in calendar order:

January:

5th: New Hampshire

15th: Vermont

24th: North Carolina

26th: Michigan

29th: Kansas

February:

3rd: Illinois

12th: Georgia

14th: Arizona

15th: Wisconsin

28th: Pennsylvania

March:

1st: Ohio

2nd: Texas

4th: Idaho

6th: Guam

15th: Maine

24th: Northern Mariana Islands

25th: Maryland

31st: U.S. Virgin Islands

April:

2nd: Florida

6th: Montana

9th: Louisiana

7th: Mississippi

10th: Nebraska

17th: American Samoa

19th: Massachusetts

22nd: Oklahoma

May:

1st: Connecticut

4th: Rhode Island

11th: Minnesota

14th: Virginia

June:

1st: Kentucky & Tennessee

11th: Hawaii

15th: Arkansas

20th: West Virginia

24th: New Jersey

28th: South Carolina

July:

9th: Washington D.C.

12th: New Mexico

24th: Utah

August:

1st: Colorado

14th: Oregon

September:

8th: New York

9th: California

October:

1st: Missouri

18th: Alaska

31st: Nevada

November:

2nd: North Dakota & South Dakota

11th: Washington

19th: Puerto Rico

December:

7th: Delaware

10th: Wyoming

11th: Indiana

14th: Alabama

28th: Iowa

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Feel free to vote and/or comment.