It’s International Beaver Day! Do you know the history of Bemidji State’s favorite mascot?

Every April 7 is an important holiday at Bemidji State University. It's International Beaver Day!

Here's the story of how our favorite mascot first came to be.

Our “Beavers” nickname dates back nearly a century. As President Manfred Deputy reviewed football practice one evening in May 1932, he remarked that the players were “working hard as beavers.” He called the team into a huddle and, raising his hands above their heads, declared, “I christen this team the Beavers!”

Bemidji State’s beaver mascot has been around since at least the 1950s in one form or another. Today’s version of Bucky the Beaver has him looking younger, fresher and peppier than ever.

So if you’ve ever seen a buck-toothed, tail-wagging, dam-building mascot on the loose, no doubt you saw Bucky doing his thing.

And Bucky has undoubtedly come a long way over the years. Here's a look at how Bucky has grown up since he first popped up on campus.