1. In 1819, President James Monroe signed an act admitting Alabama as the 22nd state of the United States.

2. In 1847, the University of Alabama was chartered in Tuscaloosa. It is the oldest and largest public university in the state.

3. In 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began in Alabama, which was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement. The boycott lasted for 381 days and ended with a landmark Supreme Court ruling desegregating public transportation.

4. In 1961, the Freedom Riders were attacked and beaten by a white mob in Anniston, Alabama. The Freedom Riders were a group of civil rights activists who were challenging segregation laws by riding interstate buses through the South.

5. In 2009, Birmingham, Alabama elected its first African American mayor, William A. Bell Sr. Bell served as mayor until 2017 and was known for his efforts to revitalize downtown Birmingham and improve city services.