1. In 1865, Union troops captured the city of Savannah, marking a major victory for the North in the Civil War. This came after General William T. Sherman's famous "March to the Sea" campaign through Georgia's heartland.

2. On January 31, 1934, the famous jazz musician and composer, Johnny Mercer, founded the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in Atlanta. Mercer is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and his music has been performed by countless artists.

3. In 1951, the University of Georgia officially desegregated when Horace Ward, an African American attorney from Atlanta, won a lawsuit against the school. Ward was the first African American student to enroll at UGA, paving the way for thousands of others to follow.

4. The home of civil rights leader and Martin Luther King Jr.'s mentor, Benjamin Mays, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 31, 1980. Mays served as president of Morehouse College for many years and was a prominent figure in the struggle for African American civil rights.

5. On January 31, 2019, a massive snowstorm hit Georgia, causing chaos and disruption throughout the state. Schools and businesses were closed, roads were impassable, and thousands of people were left without power. Despite the challenges, many Georgians came together to support one another and help their communities weather the storm.