1. Georgia officially became a state on December 31, 1787, when it was admitted to the United States as the fourth state after the original thirteen colonies.

2. On December 31, 1862, the Civil War Battle of Stones River began near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which is just over the Georgia state line. Many Georgia soldiers fought in the battle, which lasted until January 2, 1863, and was one of the bloodiest of the war.

3. In 1955, the Atlanta City Council voted on December 31 to establish the first public transit system in the city, which later became known as MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority). The system now includes buses and trains that serve the entire metro area.

4. On December 31, 1973, singer-songwriter Gregg Allman married Cher in a private ceremony in Macon, Georgia, where they had been living together. The couple divorced in 1979 after a turbulent and highly publicized relationship.

5. The Peach Drop is an annual New Year's Eve tradition in Atlanta, where a giant peach-shaped foam sculpture is dropped from the top of the historic Flatiron Building at midnight. The tradition started on December 31, 1989, and has become one of the largest New Year's Eve events in the country, with thousands of people gathering in downtown Atlanta to celebrate.