1. In 1781, the Battle of Cowpens took place near present-day Chesnee, South Carolina, during the American Revolution. The battle was primarily fought between American forces under the command of Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The American victory at Cowpens was a turning point in the southern campaign of the Revolutionary War.

2. In 1861, North Carolina became the fifth state to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy. The state played a significant role in the Civil War, providing troops and supplies to the Southern cause. North Carolina was also the site of several major battles, including the Battle of Bentonville in 1865, which was the last significant Confederate offensive of the war.

3. In 1934, North Carolina native Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon, a non-stick material that revolutionized the cookware industry. Plunkett was working as a chemist for DuPont when he accidentally polymerized tetrafluoroethylene gas, creating a white powder that was extremely resistant to chemicals and high temperatures. Teflon-coated pots and pans have since become a staple of modern kitchens.

4. In 1964, the first interracial college basketball game in the South was played between Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The game was initially scheduled to be played without African American players, but Duke coach Vic Bubas insisted on allowing his star player, Jeff Mullins, to compete. The game ended in a 91-76 victory for North Carolina, but the historic moment paved the way for greater racial integration in college athletics.

5. In 2017, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper was inaugurated as the state's 75th governor. Cooper, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Pat McCrory in a highly contested election that was marked by controversy over a state law limiting LGBT rights. As governor, Cooper has prioritized issues like education, healthcare, and environmental protection.