1. On February 21, 1865, Confederate troops under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston engaged Union troops near Bentonville, North Carolina. Although the Confederates initially managed to drive back the Union cavalry, they were eventually defeated and forced to retreat.

2. In 1876, the South Carolina state legislature elected Wade Hampton III as governor. Hampton, a former Confederate general, had been a leader of the "Redeemer" movement, which sought to regain political power for white Democrats.

3. On February 21, 1945, a U.S. Army Air Corps B-24 bomber crashed near the town of Walterboro, South Carolina, killing all 16 crew members aboard. The cause of the crash was later discovered to be a faulty fuel pump.

4. In 1965, civil rights activists staged a sit-in at the Greenville County Courthouse, demanding an end to racial segregation in public facilities. Although the sit-in was initially peaceful, it eventually turned violent as protesters were arrested and beaten by police.

5. On February 21, 2016, the South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team defeated the Florida Gators 73-69 in a thrilling overtime game. The victory was especially significant as it marked the first time the Gamecocks had beaten the Gators since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1991.