1. In 1861, on February 8, the provisional Confederate Congress convened in Montgomery, Alabama. This congress was responsible for establishing the Confederate States of America and electing Jefferson Davis as their president.

2. On February 8, 1940, the first black professional basketball team was founded in Birmingham, Alabama. The team was called the Harlem Rens and played in the Negro National Basketball League.

3. In 1963, on February 8, civil rights leader Fred Shuttlesworth was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for his role in organizing protests against segregation. Shuttlesworth was a key figure in the civil rights movement and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

4. On February 8, 1976, the Alabama Crimson Tide football team won their eighth national championship by defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Sugar Bowl. This victory marked the end of a 13-year championship drought for Alabama.

5. In 2008, on February 8, devastating tornadoes struck parts of Alabama, causing widespread destruction and claiming the lives of nine people. Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties were particularly hard hit, with numerous homes and businesses damaged or destroyed.