1. In 1861, the state of Alabama voted to secede from the United States and joined the Confederacy. This decision was a significant event that led to Alabama's involvement in the American Civil War.

2. On February 28, 1925, the Alabama Legislature passed the state's first law requiring public schools to have at least six months of school per year. This law was a significant step forward in improving education for Alabama's children.

3. In 1955, a Montgomery, Alabama bus driver ordered Rosa Parks, an African American woman, to give up her seat to a white passenger. She refused, leading to her arrest and sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement and marked a significant turning point in American history.

4. On February 28, 1960, eight African American students from Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Montgomery. This event was one of many nonviolent protests that helped bring an end to segregation in the United States.

5. In 2000, the Alabama State Senate approved a resolution apologizing for the state's role in the blacklisting of artists during the Red Scare of the 1950s. The resolution was a significant step in acknowledging Alabama's past mistakes and working towards a more just future.