1. The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was reportedly signed on May 20, 1775, but its existence and authenticity have been debated for centuries. If it is genuine, it would make North Carolina the first colony to declare independence from Great Britain.

2. On May 24, 1865, Jefferson Davis, the former President of the Confederate States of America, was arrested by Union troops in Irwinville, Georgia. Davis was later brought to Fort Monroe in Virginia and imprisoned for two years before being released without trial.

3. The Wright Brothers made their first flight in North Carolina on December 17, 1903, but their initial attempts at flight began in May of that year. The brothers chose the area around Kitty Hawk for its consistent winds and soft sand dunes, which provided a soft landing surface for their aircraft.

4. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) was chartered on May 20, 1891, as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women. The school opened its doors in October of that year with just 223 students and six faculty members.

5. On May 24, 1961, the Freedom Riders arrived at the Trailways bus station in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they were arrested and sent to prison for violating the state's segregation laws. The Freedom Riders were a group of civil rights activists who sought to challenge segregation on interstate buses and in bus stations throughout the South.