1. On February 1, 1877, the Tennessee State Capitol building caught fire and was nearly destroyed. Although the building was later rebuilt, much of the original structure and furnishings were lost.

2. In 1943, Tennessee-born pilot Ruth Law Oliver became the first woman to fly at night when she flew a U.S. Army Air Corps plane from Chicago to New York City.

3. On February 1, 1960, four African American college students from North Carolina A&T University famously staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. This event sparked a national movement against racial segregation and discrimination.

4. In 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven crew members. The disaster sent shockwaves throughout the nation and the world.

5. On February 1, 2018, the Tennessee General Assembly officially recognized the rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley's birthday as a state holiday. The move was in recognition of Presley's profound impact on the state and its musical legacy.