1. In 1776, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the Declaration of Independence, officially joining the United States of America.

2. On August 2, 1924, the state's first radio broadcast took place in Atlanta. The program, called "The Voice of the South," aired on station WSB and featured local musicians and performers.

3. In 1964, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hamer, who was from Mississippi, had been beaten and jailed for her activism, and her emotional testimony helped to bring attention to the struggle for civil rights in the Deep South.

4. On August 2, 1996, the Summer Olympics kicked off in Atlanta. The games were marred by the bombing of Centennial Olympic Park on July 27, which killed two people and injured more than 100 others.

5. In 2017, former Georgia Governor Zell Miller passed away at the age of 86. Miller was known for his efforts to reform education in the state, including the creation of the HOPE scholarship program, which provides financial assistance to Georgia students attending college in the state.