1. On February 17, 1865, Union troops under General William T. Sherman entered the capital city of Columbia during the Civil War. The city was largely destroyed by fire, and the event is still a controversial topic among historians.

2. On February 17, 1902, future governor and senator Strom Thurmond was born in Edgefield County. Thurmond would go on to have a long and controversial political career, including a run for president as a third-party candidate in 1948.

3. In 1960, on February 17, Gov. Fritz Hollings declared a state of emergency due to rising racial tensions in the wake of the civil rights movement. The move was seen as an attempt to quash protests and demonstrations by African Americans seeking equal rights.

4. On February 17, 1996, Clemson University hosted its first-ever "Carolina First" capital campaign event. The campaign raised more than $1 billion for the university, making it one of the most successful fundraising efforts in South Carolina history.

5. In 2014, on February 17, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced that a person in the state had been infected with the H1N1 flu virus. The announcement sparked concern and led to increased vaccination efforts throughout the state.