1. In 1846, the first major cotton mill in South Carolina, the Graniteville Manufacturing Company, began operation on December 29th. The mill was built by William Gregg, who had studied textile manufacturing in England and brought his knowledge back to the United States. The mill was successful and helped boost the economy of the state.

2. On December 29, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. The state's leaders had been advocating secession for many years, but the election of Abraham Lincoln as president was the final straw.

3. The USS Charleston, a United States Navy cruiser, was commissioned on December 29, 1937. The ship was named after the city of Charleston, South Carolina, and served in World War II and the Korean War.

4. In 1958, the first nuclear power plant in South Carolina, the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I, began operating on December 29th at the Savannah River Site. The facility was used to test reactor designs and was decommissioned in the 1960s.

5. On December 29th, 1985, the University of South Carolina football team won their first-ever bowl game. The team, led by quarterback Todd Ellis, defeated the University of Miami 30-14 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. The victory was a significant milestone for the team and helped raise their profile nationally.