1. In 1907, Birmingham's Hotel Redmont opened its doors for the first time. The hotel, which is still in operation today, has hosted numerous notable guests over the years, including Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, and Elvis Presley.

2. On May 24, 1941, the USS Tuscaloosa, a heavy cruiser named after the city of Tuscaloosa, was commissioned. The ship served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II and was decommissioned in 1946.

3. In 1974, Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium opened. The stadium, named after Mobile native and baseball legend Hank Aaron, has been the home of several minor league baseball teams and is currently the home of the Mobile BayBears.

4. On May 24, 1989, NASA astronaut Jan Davis of Huntsville became the first woman to serve as a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) for a space shuttle mission. Davis would go on to become the first woman to fly on a shuttle mission as a member of the crew of STS-47 in September 1992.

5. In 2011, Tuscaloosa was hit by a devastating tornado that killed dozens of people and caused widespread damage. The tornado, which was part of a larger outbreak that affected several states, prompted a major relief effort from both individuals and organizations in Alabama and across the country.