1. In 1867, the state of North Carolina ratified the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to African Americans. This was a significant moment in the state's civil rights history, as North Carolina was one of the last states to ratify the amendment.

2. On March 1, 1893, the first state normal school for African Americans, now known as Fayetteville State University, opened its doors in North Carolina. The school was established to provide higher education opportunities for African Americans in the state, who were otherwise denied access to many institutions of higher learning.

3. In 1956, famed jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie performed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at a benefit concert for the local branch of the NAACP. The event was notable because Gillespie had previously cancelled a show in the state due to its segregationist policies, but agreed to perform after being assured that the concert would be integrated.

4. March 1, 1960 marked the first day of the historic Greensboro sit-ins, where four African American students from North Carolina A&T State University sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter and refused to leave, sparking a wave of similar actions across the country. The sit-ins helped to galvanize the civil rights movement and are widely celebrated for their peaceful and determined approach to challenging segregation.

5. Finally, on March 1, 1987, Charlotte, North Carolina became the first city in the state to install automated teller machines (ATMs). The machines, which allowed customers to withdraw cash outside of bank hours, quickly became popular and went on to revolutionize the banking industry around the world.