Utah

2011-11-17T21:59:24Z

Carlitam: /* Notable people from Utah */

{{USState
|name=Utah
|flag=Utah_State_Flag.gif
|motto="Industry"
|nick=The Beehive State
|capital=Salt Lake City
|language=English
|governor=Gary Herbert
|gparty=Republican
|senator2=Mike Lee
|s2party=Republican
|s2phone=(202) 224-5444
|s2email=http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/one_item_and_teasers/Lee_Mike.htm Contact
|senator1=Orrin Hatch
|s1party=Republican
|s1phone=(202) 224-5251
|s1email=http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact Contact
|population=
|date=January 4, 1896 (45th)
}}

'''Utah''', known as the ''Beehive State'', is the forty-fifth state to enter into the union, achieving statehood on Jan. 4, 1896. Approximately 62% of Utah's residents are members of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] ([[Mormons]]), although this number is on the wane.
<ref>http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2886596</ref>

The state's capital and largest city is [[Salt Lake City]]. The Great Salt Lake, located in northern Utah, is the largest saltwater lake in the Western hemisphere. <ref>http://www.utah.com/stateparks/great_salt_lake.htm</ref>

The state bird is the California Seagull. The state insect is the European Honey Bee.

==History==

The first permanent European settlement of Utah came in 1847 when members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, led by [[Brigham Young]], settled there, which ended their long westward trek to escape persecution. Peace would prove illusory, as relations with [[Native American]]s and white non-Mormons would turn sour. The infamous [[Mountain Meadows Massacre]] of 1857 led to over 100 deaths. <ref>[http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1c234dc029133110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&locale=0 The Mountain Meadows Massacre]</ref> <ref>http://www.cesnur.org/testi/morm_01.htm</ref> Utah was admitted into the Union in 1896, after the Church banned [[polygamy]] on the basis that a new revelation from God had commanded this.

==Politics==

Utah is among the reddest of red states, having elected [[President Bush]] by some of the highest margins of any state in both 2000 and 2004 and supporting [[John McCain]] in 2008. [[Salt Lake City]] is generally the only exception, having a mayor, Rocky Anderson, who is very liberal. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17154193/</ref> Both of the state's Senators ([[Orrin Hatch]] and [[Mike Lee]]) are [[Republican]]s, and two out of the state's three Representatives are Republicans. <ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=UT</ref>

==Elected Officials==

===Federal===
*Sen. [[Orrin Hatch]] (R)
*Sen. [[Mike Lee]] (R)
*Rep. [[Rob Bishop]] [R, UT-01]
*Rep. [[Jim Matheson]] [D, UT-02]
*Rep. [[Jason Chaffetz]] [R, UT-03]

===Statewide===
*Governor [[Gary Herbert]] (R)
*Lt. Governor [[Gregory Bell]] (R)

==Out of wedlock births==

Utah has the lowest rate in the nation of out of wedlock births at 18%. The highest is Mississippi with 53%.<ref>San Diego Union-Tribune Newspaper, Nov. 9th, 2008</ref>

==Notable people from Utah==

*[[Orson Scott Card]], science-fiction writer best known for the ''Ender's Game'' series, has lived in Orem.
*[[Orrin Hatch]] - Republican U.S. Senator from Utah, serving since 1977.
*[[Thomas S. Monson]], President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as of 2008, was born in Salt Lake City.
*[[Ken Jennings]], who made a record 74 straight appearances on the game show ''Jeopardy'', lives in Utah.
*[[Donny Osmond]] and [[Marie Osmond]] - singers and actors; both were born in Ogden.
*[[Brigham Young]], perhaps the most important person in the history of the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints other than the founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., was part of the aforementioned settling of the state in the 1840s.
*[[Steve Young]] - Hall of Fame quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Steve is a direct descendant of [[Brigham Young]].
*[[Mario Capecchi]] - Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for "Discoveries for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells."

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
*[[Bountiful Utah Temple]]
*[[Logan Utah Temple]]
*[[Manti Utah Temple]]
*[[Monticello Utah Temple]]

{{USstates}}
[[Category:Utah]]

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Utah