1. In 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state to join the United States. Previously a part of Virginia, Kentucky's statehood was celebrated on December 5.

2. Three years after statehood, on December 5, 1795, Isaac Shelby was elected as the first governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

3. On December 5, 1925, renowned writer and Kentucky native, William Faulkner, visited the state Capitol in Frankfort where he met with Governor William J. Fields.

4. The University of Kentucky football team won its first conference championship in 1950, clinching the title on December 5 with a 19-0 victory over the University of Tennessee.

5. December 5, 2000 marked the opening night of the restored Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Ryman, known as the "Mother Church of Country Music," was originally located in Louisville, Kentucky before being moved to Nashville. Many Kentucky-based country musicians, including Bill Monroe and the Osborne Brothers, got their start playing at the Ryman in its early years.