1. On July 31, 1838, the Cherokee Nation was forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in South Carolina and other southern states, embarking on what became known as the Trail of Tears. This brutal forced relocation resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee people.

2. In 1865, during the Civil War, Union forces under General William T. Sherman occupied Charleston, South Carolina, which had been a stronghold of the Confederacy. This marked a significant turning point in the war and helped to hasten the Confederacy's defeat.

3. On July 31, 1917, the United States Army established Camp Sevier in Greenville, South Carolina to train soldiers for service in World War I. The camp was a major training center during the war and helped to prepare thousands of soldiers for the front lines.

4. In 1964, South Carolina civil rights activist and Greenville native Jesse Jackson founded Operation Breadbasket, a national organization that aimed to improve economic conditions for African Americans. The organization later became part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

5. On July 31, 2001, South Carolina governor Jim Hodges signed a bill officially removing the Confederate battle flag from the State House dome, where it had flown since 1962. The controversial symbol had long been a source of controversy and outrage for many South Carolinians, particularly African Americans who saw it as a reminder of the state's racist past.