1. On September 5, 1836, Sam Houston, the former governor of Tennessee, was elected as the president of the Republic of Texas. Houston, who had previously served as a U.S. senator and governor of Tennessee, played a key role in the liberation of Texas from Mexico and the establishment of a democratic government in the new republic.

2. On September 5, 1921, the Tennessee State Fair officially opened its doors for the first time in Nashville. The fair, which has been held annually ever since, showcases agricultural, industrial, and cultural exhibits, as well as carnival rides, food vendors, and live entertainment.

3. On September 5, 1957, nine African American students attempted to enroll at Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee, in what became known as the Clinton 12 integration crisis. The students faced intense opposition from white segregationists, including violent protests and bombings of their homes, but ultimately succeeded in integrating the school and paving the way for other civil rights victories.

4. On September 5, 1983, the Tennessee Vols football team played its first game in the newly-renovated Neyland Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville. The Vols lost to the University of California, but the stadium has since become one of the premier college football venues in the country, with a seating capacity of over 102,000.

5. On September 5, 2014, the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team played its final game at Greer Stadium after more than three decades at the ballpark. The Sounds moved to a new stadium, First Horizon Park, the following year, and have since become one of the top minor league franchises in the country, winning the Pacific Coast League championship in 2019.