1. On September 8, 1773, James Oglethorpe, the founder of the Georgia colony, returned to England after a 13-year stay in Georgia. Oglethorpe was instrumental in establishing the colony as a haven for debtors and persecuted Protestants in the early 18th century.

2. The University of Georgia, the oldest state-chartered university in the United States, opened its doors on September 8, 1801. The university was founded by Abraham Baldwin, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and the first president of the university.

3. On September 8, 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, arrived in Atlanta for a ticker-tape parade celebrating his service to the country. His visit was part of a nation-wide tour to thank Americans for their support during the war.

4. The first Georgia State Fair was held on September 8, 1851, in Macon, Georgia. The fair was a celebration of Georgia's agricultural heritage and featured contests and exhibitions of livestock, crops, and crafts.

5. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world, officially opened on September 8, 1980. The airport was named after former Atlanta mayors William Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson, and has been an important hub for domestic and international air travel since its opening.