1. In 1865, the Battle of Selma took place in Selma, Alabama, during the American Civil War. Union troops under General James H. Wilson attacked and defeated Confederate troops led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest. The battle was significant for helping to secure the Union's control of the state of Alabama.

2. On March 10, 1871, the Alabama State Senate passed a resolution calling for the establishment of the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (A&M). A&M later became Alabama A&M University, one of the state's historically black institutions of higher learning.

3. In 1900, the infamous "Alabama fever" epidemic swept through the state, causing hundreds of deaths and thousands of cases of illness. The outbreak was caused by contaminated water from a spring in Montgomery and spread rapidly throughout the state.

4. On March 10, 1930, Alabama Governor Bibb Graves signed a new constitution into law. The new constitution effectively disenfranchised African Americans and poor whites, and helped to maintain the political power of the state's white supremacist elite for decades to come.

5. In 1953, the Hayes Aircraft Corporation opened a new plant in Birmingham, Alabama. The plant manufactured parts for military aircraft, and was a major employer in the region for many years. The plant closed in the 1980s, and the site is now home to a variety of commercial and residential developments.