1. On December 18, 1734, a group of Jewish immigrants landed in Savannah, Georgia. Led by Portuguese merchant Abraham de Lyon, this was the first official Jewish settlement in the United States. They faced some resistance, but the settlers persevered and established the Congregation Mickve Israel, which is still active today.

2. The Battle of Nashville took place on December 15-16, 1864, but it had implications for Georgia as well. Many Confederate soldiers from Georgia fought in this battle, under the command of General John Bell Hood. The result was a devastating defeat for the Confederacy, which strengthened the Union's hold on the South.

3. On December 18, 1897, Augusta native Woodrow Wilson was elected president of Princeton University. Wilson had previously been a professor of political science at Princeton, and his tenure as president would be marked by significant reforms in the university's curriculum and administration.

4. Georgia native Otis Redding died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. However, on December 18 of that year, his posthumous hit "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" was released. The song became an instant classic and remains one of the most beloved songs in American history.

5. On December 18, 2013, the Georgia Dome hosted its final event, a college football game between the Georgia State Panthers and the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The dome had been open since 1992 and had hosted countless events, including two Super Bowls, the Olympic gymnastics and basketball events, and multiple NCAA Final Fours. The dome was demolished in 2017 to make way for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.