1. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers successfully made the first controlled powered flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. While this event did not happen in Alabama, it marked a pivotal moment in aviation history that has impacted the entire world.

2. In 1833, the Alabama Legislature met for the first time in the new capitol building in Tuscaloosa. This building still stands today and is now known as the Gorgas House Museum on the campus of the University of Alabama.

3. On December 17, 1939, the first Alabama space launch took place at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. This was part of a rocket research program led by Dr. Wernher von Braun, who would later lead the team that developed the Saturn V rocket that put men on the moon.

4. In 1987, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival opened in Montgomery. It is now one of the largest Shakespeare festivals in the world and attracts visitors from around the globe.

5. On December 17, 2008, the Alabama Crimson Tide football team hired Nick Saban as their head coach. Saban has since led the team to five national championships and is considered one of the greatest football coaches of all time.