1. On October 17, 1770, the Battle of Alamance occurred in Alamance County, North Carolina. The battle was fought between the colonial militia and a group of farmers known as the Regulators, who were protesting against the corrupt government officials and excessive taxes. It was a significant event leading up to the American Revolution.

2. In 1829, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became the first public university in the United States to admit students. On October 17 of that year, the university welcomed its first class of students, who paid a tuition of $16 per year.

3. On October 17, 1862, the Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee won the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia, during the American Civil War. Many soldiers from North Carolina fought in the battle and suffered heavy losses.

4. In 1901, Wilbur Wright, one of the Wright brothers who invented the airplane, flew his glider for the first time in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The location was chosen because of its high sand dunes and strong winds.

5. On October 17, 2000, Rick Dees, a radio host based in North Carolina, broke the world record for the longest on-air radio broadcast, lasting 8,721 hours, or more than a year. The record was recognized by the Guinness World Records.