1. On January 8, 1861, the state of Arkansas became the ninth state to secede from the United States and join the Confederate States of America.

2. Marion County, Arkansas, was established on January 8, 1836, and named after Revolutionary War General Francis Marion, also known as the "Swamp Fox."

3. The first recorded bank robbery in Arkansas history occurred on January 8, 1868, at the Union Bank of Little Rock. The robbers escaped with $14,000 in cash and bonds and were never caught.

4. On January 8, 1963, the Arkansas state legislature voted to repeal the state's antiquated anti-evolution law, which had been on the books since 1928.

5. In 1981, Arkansas Governor Frank White was sworn in on January 8, becoming the first Republican governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. White served as governor for one term, from 1981 to 1983.