1. On January 4, 1785, the University of Georgia was founded in Athens, Georgia. It was the first public university in the United States and is now one of the oldest and largest universities in the country.

2. On January 4, 1865, Union General William T. Sherman marched into Savannah, Georgia, during the Civil War. This was part of his famous "March to the Sea," which devastated much of Georgia and marked a turning point in the war.

3. On January 4, 1976, the Georgia Bulldogs won their first national championship in football. Led by head coach Vince Dooley and quarterback Ray Goff, the Bulldogs defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl to claim the title.

4. On January 4, 1999, Sonny Perdue was inaugurated as the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. Perdue served two terms as governor and later became the Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald Trump.

5. On January 4, 2001, the Georgia General Assembly voted to change the state flag, removing the controversial Confederate battle emblem. The new flag, which features the state seal and five small flags representing Georgia's history, was first raised on January 31, 2001.