1. In 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress convened in Montgomery, Alabama and elected Jefferson Davis as the first President of the Confederate States of America.

2. In 1939, the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American pilots in the United States military, were established at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

3. In 1950, Alabama Governor Jim Folsom declared February 9 to be "George Washington Carver Recognition Day" in honor of the famed African American scientist who spent much of his career at Tuskegee Institute.

4. In 1965, civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. began a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in support of voting rights for African Americans. The march culminated in Montgomery on March 25, 1965.

5. In 1991, Birmingham, Alabama hosted the first World Games, an international multi-sport event featuring non-Olympic sports such as tug-of-war, orienteering, and roller hockey. The event was a major success and helped to boost Birmingham's reputation as a sports destination.