1. In 1798, Georgia Governor James Jackson approved the Charter of the University of Georgia, making it the first public university in the United States.
2. On August 24, 1864, the historic Battle of Jonesborough took place during the American Civil War. Confederate General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee attacked Union General William T. Sherman's army, resulting in a Union victory and leading to the fall of Atlanta.
3. In 1906, the Atlanta Life Insurance Company was founded by Alonzo Herndon. Herndon, a former slave, became one of the wealthiest African Americans in the United States and the company he founded is still in operation today.
4. On August 24, 1970, the Georgia Senate ratified the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution which gave women the right to vote. Georgia was the 41st state to ratify the amendment.
5. In 2000, the 25th Olympic Games were held in Atlanta from July 19-August 4. On August 24, American athlete Angelo Taylor won a gold medal in the men's 400-meter hurdles event.