1. Alabama became a state in 1819, but it wasn't until August 1, 1893, that Montgomery, Alabama's Capitol, became the first capital in the world to have a telephone system in every office. This was a major achievement in communication technology at the time.

2. August 1 is also known as Emancipation Day in Alabama. On this day in 1864, Union forces led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Mobile, Alabama, and announced that all enslaved people in the state were free. This announcement marked a significant turning point in the Civil War, as it signaled the end of slavery in Alabama.

3. In 1907, Birmingham, Alabama, became the first city in the United States to have a significant abundance of underground iron ore, which was later nicknamed the "Magic City." This led to significant economic growth and helped establish Birmingham as a major industrial center in the south.

4. On August 1, 1938, African-American educator and civil rights leader Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on a plantation in Virginia. Washington was a prominent figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his work as a teacher, writer, and speaker helped pave the way for the civil rights movement.

5. The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind was established on August 1, 1858, in Talladega, Alabama. It was one of the first schools in the United States to provide education and training to people who were deaf or blind, and it has remained a prominent institution in Alabama for over 150 years.