1. On December 15, 1792, the General Assembly of North Carolina ratified the United States Constitution, making North Carolina the 12th state to join the Union.

2. On December 15, 1832, the Nullification Crisis came to a head in North Carolina when Vice President John C. Calhoun came to the state to give a speech defending the state's right to nullify federal law.

3. In 1899, on December 15, the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company was founded in Durham. It became the largest African American-owned insurance company in the country and played a significant role in building wealth in the black community.

4. On December 15, 1936, the first flight of the North Carolina National Guard's 252nd Coast Artillery took place. The unit would later be deployed to the Pacific Theater during World War II.

5. December 15, 2012, was a tragic day in North Carolina history when a shooting occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The tragedy prompted renewed discussions about gun control and school safety in North Carolina and across the country.