1. In 1777, the town of Harrodsburg, Kentucky was established. It was the first permanent English settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

2. On February 8, 1802, William Wells Brown was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He became the first African-American novelist and playwright to be published in the United States.

3. Union General Don Carlos Buell was born in Lowell, Ohio on February 23, 1818. He later moved to Kentucky and played a significant role in the Civil War, including leading the Army of the Ohio during the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862.

4. Kentucky's infamous outlaw, Jesse James, robbed his first bank in Russellville, Kentucky on February 8, 1868. He and his gang made off with $14,000 in cash and another $5,000 in gold.

5. The Kentucky Derby Museum opened on February 8, 1985. The museum, located at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, is dedicated to showcasing the history and traditions of the Kentucky Derby, one of the most famous horse races in the world.