1. In 1861, Tennessee seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy, becoming the last state to do so. This decision led to the state being the site of numerous battles during the Civil War.

2. On May 6, 1889, the Great Chattanooga Cyclone hit the city of Chattanooga, causing extensive damage and killing at least 38 people.

3. In 1937, the East Tennessee State Teachers College (now East Tennessee State University) was established by the Tennessee General Assembly, becoming the first teachers college in the state.

4. On May 6, 1960, Nashville became the site of one of the first sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement when a group of college students held a peaceful protest at a segregated lunch counter in a department store.

5. In 1990, Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter signed the Tennessee Education Improvement Act, a major overhaul of the state's education system that included increased funding for schools and higher standards for student achievement.