1. On February 5, 1777, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Halifax Resolves, which was a direct precursor to the Declaration of Independence. The Halifax Resolves declared that the North Carolina delegates to the Continental Congress were authorized to join the other colonies in declaring independence from Great Britain.

2. In 1833, the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the convictions of two white men for the murder of a free black man in the case of State v. Mann. The decision established a legal precedent for the mistreatment and exploitation of African Americans in the state for decades to come.

3. February 5, 1929, marks the birth of baseball legend Hank Aaron in Mobile, Alabama. Throughout his career, Aaron broke numerous records and was recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He also had a brief stint with the Milwaukee Brewers, which was the team's first season as a major league franchise after relocating from Seattle.

4. On February 5, 1945, US Navy submarine USS Boarfish sunk the Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi, which was part of the Pearl Harbor attack force, off the coast of Japan. The sinking was a key victory for the US in the Pacific theater during World War II.

5. In 2019, February 5 was declared Black Women's Equal Pay Day in North Carolina by Governor Roy Cooper. The day recognizes the pay discrimination that black women face in the workplace, with black women earning only 63 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.