1. On March 12, 1664, King Charles II granted a charter to eight English noblemen to start a new colony in North America, which would become Carolina. This charter established Carolina as a proprietary colony, meaning that the noblemen who received the charter would have full control over the colony's government and economy.

2. In 1818, North Carolina became the first state to establish a school for the deaf and blind, now known as the North Carolina School for the Deaf. The school was initially located in Raleigh, but later moved to Morganton.

3. On March 12, 1904, Alice Mary Baldwin became the first woman to earn a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Baldwin went on to become a distinguished historian and educator, and the university's Baldwin Auditorium is named in her honor.

4. In 1936, the Blue Ridge Parkway was officially established as a unit of the National Park Service. The 469-mile scenic highway runs through North Carolina and Virginia, offering spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and connecting a number of national forests and parks.

5. On March 12, 1999, the town of Charlotte officially changed its name to Charlotte-Mecklenburg, reflecting its status as the largest city in Mecklenburg County. However, the change was short-lived, as the city reverted back to its original name of Charlotte just four months later.