1. In 1861, the first major battle of the Civil War in North Carolina, the Battle of Manassas Junction, took place on July 21. Confederate troops, including those from North Carolina, were victorious over Union forces.

2. On July 21, 1922, the Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville, North Carolina was destroyed in a fire. The courthouse was the site of the famous trial of six men known as the "Haywood County Eight" who were accused of murder.

3. In 1970, the Allman Brothers Band performed at the Fillmore East in New York City on July 21. The band was founded in Jacksonville, Florida, by brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, who were both born in Nashville, Tennessee, but spent time in North Carolina during their childhood.

4. On July 21, 1999, Eric Rudolph, the man accused of bombing abortion clinics and a gay nightclub in the Southeast, including one in Asheville, North Carolina, was arrested in Murphy, North Carolina after more than five years on the run.

5. July 21 is National Junk Food Day, and North Carolina has a history of producing some of the country's favorite junk foods, including Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Cheerwine soda, and Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits.