1. On January 3, 1749, James Edward Oglethorpe arrived in Savannah, Georgia. He was the founder of the Colony of Georgia, which was established as a refuge for debtors and the poor in England. Oglethorpe later led the colonists in battles against Spanish forces in Georgia.

2. The first cricket match in Georgia history was played on January 3, 1790, in Savannah. The match was played between the Savannah and the Marylebone Cricket Clubs, with Savannah winning by 8 wickets.

3. On January 3, 1908, the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary was renamed Spelman Seminary in honor of Laura Spelman Rockefeller, who had made a considerable donation to the institution. Today, Spelman College is one of the top-ranked historically black colleges in the United States.

4. Georgia Tech won its first national championship in football on January 3, 1991, by defeating Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl. The team was led by quarterback Shawn Jones and head coach Bobby Ross.

5. On January 3, 2000, Jimmy Carter became the longest-living U.S. president in history, surpassing the previous record held by John Adams. Carter, who was born in Plains, Georgia, served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977-1981. He has since become an international leader in human rights and a prolific author.