1. On February 17, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the country. Kentucky, a border state during the Civil War, had initially rejected the amendment but eventually ratified it in 1976.

2. In 1937, a devastating flood struck Kentucky and other states in the Ohio River Valley, causing widespread damage and loss of life. The flood was caused by a combination of heavy rains, snowmelt, and ice jams, and is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Kentucky history.

3. On February 17, 1920, Kentucky ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. Kentucky was the 24th state to ratify the amendment, which was officially adopted on August 26, 1920.

4. Kentucky native Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammad Ali, was born on January 17, 1942. Ali, who grew up in Louisville, is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, and was also a prominent civil rights activist and international humanitarian.

5. On February 17, 2000, a fire broke out at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville, killing eight inmates and injuring several others. The cause of the fire was determined to be a malfunctioning space heater in one of the cells, and the incident led to increased scrutiny of prison safety and conditions in Kentucky.