-
Charter of Georgia
The original colony of Georgia was founded in 1732. James Oglethorpe is credited with being the founder of the colony. He originally intended to create a safe haven for those in debt. This is an important event because it was when King George granted permission for the colony. Georgia became the last and final of the 13 colonies. -
Birth of George Washington
George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. -
Poor Richard's Almanac Published
Benjamin Franklin published his first almanac under the pseudonym Richard Saunders. -
Georgia Colony Founded
On this day, James Oglethorpe and 114 other settlers founded the colony of Georgia. They climbed up the bluff from the Savannah river and established the colony. The Trustees had a dream for a colony that had little landholding and no slavery. James Oglethorpe established a relationship with the local Native American population by asking for permission to settle there. -
Georgia Became Royal Colony
Georgia became a royal colony in 1752. The Trustees were unable to establish self government and gave up before their 21 year charter was up. This meant that Georgia would be ruled by the king, but managed by a governor appointed by the king. Georgia quickly became like all the other colonies. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin invents the lightning rod. -
"Common Sense" Published
Thomas Paine published his famous pamphlet called "Common Sense." -
Georgia Signs Declaration of Independence
Georgia joined the United States on August 2, 1776. Those that signed for Georgia included Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton in Philadelphia. It was signed at the Second Continental Congress. The Georgia signers were among 50 other delegates that also signed the Declaration of Independence. -
Surrender of Fort Vincennes
The British surrender the fort to the Continental Army. -
Siege of Savannah
Georgia became the first and the only one of the thirteen colonies in rebellion to be returned to the royal allegiance. On September 3, 1779, a French fleet of 25 ships appeared off the Georgia coast. The French Army disembarked an army of about 5,000 men and proceeded to besiege Savannah. Count D'Estaing demand that Savannah be surrendered on September 16, but General Augustine Prevost asked for twenty-four hours to give an answer. Prevost refused to surrender. -
Delaware Joins the Union
Delaware becomes the first state to join the Union. -
Georgia Granted Statehood
Although Georgia was found in 1732, it became an official state on January 2, 1788. It became the 4th state to join the Union. It was also the first Southern state to ratify the Constitution. The state motto became "Wisdom, Justice and Moderation." -
Cotton Gin Patent
Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin in 1793. Cotton was a large agricultural asset in the South, especially in Georgia. Mass production was slowly making it die out as the cost of keeping labor to pick far outweighed the cost. After the invention of the cotton gin, slavery rates continued to climb as it was like a industry reborn. -
Return of Slaves Law
The United States Congress passes a federal law that requires the return of slaves that escaped from slave states into free territory or states. -
First State Seal Adopted
Georgia adopted it's first state seal in 1799. The main face includes the state's coat of arms. It includes the year 1776 which indicates when it signed the declaration of Independence. The three pillars are symbols of the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. -
First Printed Ballots
The first printed ballots in the United States are printed in Pennsylvania. -
Milledgeville Becomes Capital of Georgia
Georgia has had five capitals in its history. In 1807, the capital moved for the fourth time to Milledgeville. It is the only city, other than Washington DC, that is actually designed to be a capital city. It remained the capital for over 60 years. -
New Jersey Abolishes Slavery
On February 15, 1804, New Jersey became the last state to abolish slavery. -
Savannah Fire of 1820
On January 11, 1820, a fire raged through Savannah. Shortly after 1 AM, a fire broke out in a stable behind a boarding house in Savannah. By the next afternoon when the fire was finally put out,
463 buildings had been burned to the ground. This left every two out of every three Savannah residents homeless. This is a crucial moment in Georgia history because of the set back that it caused in a major city. -
Missouri Compromise Bill
The Missouri Compromise Bill passes in the United States Congress. -
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
The first passenger railroad in the United States, called the Baltimore and Ohio, begins operation. -
Georgia Gold Rush
Although no one knows exactly who or when the first discovery of gold was made, it started around this time. The first publication of gold findings came in 1829 in a Milledgeville newspaper. This is a crucial turning point for the relations between the Georgia people and the Native American population because the natives started being run off their land in the pursuit for gold and riches. -
Trail of Tears
Following the Gold Rush, the remained Cherokee Indians left in Georgia had already begun losing their land. After President Jackson issued the Indian Removal Acts, they were forced to continue to give up their land. Starting in 1838, the remaining population was forced to make a mass migration to Indian territory, now present day Oklahoma. This was a devastating blow to the Georgia Cherokee Indians. Of the 16,000 that made the move, about 4,000 died. -
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri becomes the first university established west of the Mississippi. -
Dr. Crawford Long Used Anesthesia
Crawford Long was born on November 1, 1815. He was born in Danielsville, Georgia. He went on to become a doctor and became the first person to use anesthesia during surgery. He is a prominent figure in medicine and is a Georgia native. He did not receive proper recognition for his discovery during his lifetime. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
The border between the United States and Canada is fixed thanks to the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. -
Georgia Secedes the Union
With the election of President Lincoln in 1860, Georgia was thrown into chaos with the secession crisis. Slavery was the primary cause for the secession because President Lincoln was against it. This event is important because it is ultimately one of the causes of the Civil War which would bring an end to slavery. -
Confederate States of America
Seven southern states officially formed the Confederate States of America after they seceded from the Union. -
Battle of Chickamauga
Known as one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, this marked the end of a Union offensive between southeastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. This is the battle with the second highest casualties during the Civil War behind the battle of Gettysburg. This was fought on Georgia land and was the backdrop for Sherman's March to Sea. This was an important win for the Confederates. -
The Gettsyburg Address
President Lincoln delivered his famous "Four score and seven years ago," Gettysburg Address speech. -
Lincoln Reelected President
Lincoln was reelected president and won with 2.2 million votes and 212 in the electoral college. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
From November 15 to December 21, 1864, General William T Sherman of the Union army, led about 60,000 soldiers on a march from Atlanta to Savannah. This 285 mile march was intended to deliver a blow to the Confederate army. Their intentions were to scare the Georgia civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. This was the beginning of the end for the Civil War. -
Atlanta Becomes Capital
Atlanta becomes the fifth and final capital of Georgia. This decision came because of the state's railway transportation. The city was growing rapidly and became a hubcap for transportation. Many had been unhappy with Milledgeville as the capital for years and it was finally elected that the capital be moved. This is the current capital and is a city that has surpassed many other Georgia cities. -
Thomas Edison Patent
Thomas Edison applies for his first patent for the electric vote recorder. -
Official Flag
The official flag of Georgia was created. This flag was based on the first national flag of the Confederacy. Even though the stars were removed, the derivation of the flag was obvious. This was a crucial step in deriving the state flag as we know it today. It still went through several stages before becoming the flag that it is now. -
Females Allowed in Supreme Court
President Hayes signed a new law that allowed female attorneys to argue in Supreme Court cases. -
Coca Cola Goes on Sale
Coca Cola, one of the world's most famous drinks, was first sold at Jacob's Pharmacy on this day. It was deemed as excellent by all this that tried it. This is one of the things that Georgia is most known for. Coca Cola world is located in Atlanta, Georgia where you can learn the history of the drink and sample beverages from all over the world. -
Haymarket Bombing and Riot
The Haymarket bombing and riot occurred in Chicago, Illinois, three days after a strike had started to move the work day to eight hours. -
The Great San Francisco Earthquake
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 hits San Francisco leading to subsequent fires and leaving more than 3,000 dead and thousands injured. -
Atlanta Race Riot
During the Race Riots that plagued Atlanta from September 22 to 24, 1906, white mobs killed dozens of blacks, wounded others and inflicted property damage. The city of Atlanta had considerable growth in the years prior and the rapid growth was taking a toll on all aspects of the city. Such conditions increased fear in the elite whites and they knew that they had to do something about it. The riots caused local and national consequences. The black community suffered a depression afterwards. -
Girl Scouts Founded
The Girl Scouts were founded in the town of Savannah in 1912. Juliette Gordon Low, a native of Savannah, gathered 18 girls in her hometown to share with them what she had learned abroad in an educational program for youth. Since the beginning, Girl Scouts sparked a worldwide movement inspiring girls to embrace, together, their individuality, strength, and intellect. It has continued to persevere to this day and continues to strengthen young girls and women. -
Woodrow Wilson Elected President
Woodrow Wilson became our 28th president. -
Boll Weevil Affects Cotton
The boll weevil was introduced to Georgia in 1915. Since its introduction, it greatly affected the cotton crops that had long flourished in Georgia. By 1923, the boll weevil had reduced cotton acreage from 5.2 million acres to a mere 2.6 million acres. Pesticides proved unreliable against this pest. The cotton industry continued to suffer and affected the economy of Georgia for years to come. -
First Issue of Time Magazine
Time Magazine was published for the first time on March 3, 1923. -
Rufus E. Clement
Although he was born in North Carolina, Rufus Clement spent much of his adult life in Georgia. In 1937, he became the president of Atlanta University. This was a monumental accomplishment for his time. He became the longest serving president, serving for 30 years. He was also elected to the Atlanta Board of Education in 1953 and became the first African American to be elected to public office in Atlanta since Reconstruction. -
Golden Gate Bridge Opens
The Golden Gate bridge opens to pedestrian traffic and one day later opens for vehicles. -
The 50th Star is Added
On July 4th, 1960 the 50th and final star was added on the flag representing Hawaii. -
Desegregation of UGA
One hundred seventy-six years after it was first chartered, the University of Georgia finally admitted its first black students. Two students, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter, applied in 1959 and were denied admission because dorms were full. They applied every semester after and were given the same response. They sued UGA in federal court and won the case and were given admittance to the university. -
World's First New York State Fair
The World's First New York State Fair opened on this day. -
MLK Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Martin Luther King Jr was one of the most notable civil right figures in history. For years he lead peaceful protests for civil rights. He was famous for his "I Have a Dream" speech. He was only 35 years old when he won the award becoming the youngest person to ever win it. He was born and raised in Atlanta and devoted most of his civil rights work around the area and in the state of Georgia. -
Georgia Dome Opens
The Georgia Dome opened its doors for the first time on September 6, 1992. At the time it was the second largest covered stadium by capacity. It was the jewel of Atlanta and housed its sports teams for the next 25 years. It was demolished in 2017 to make room for the new Mercedes Benz Stadium. -
Bill Clinton Elected
Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States. -
Atlanta Braves Win World Series
The Atlanta Braves won the 1995 World Series. They won against the Cleveland Indians. This was their third World Series win making them the first team to get three wins in three different cities. -
Korean War Memorial
The Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to those lost in ceremonies presided by President Bill Clinton. -
9/11
The Twin Towers were crashed into by planes that were controlled by terrorists. -
Georgia Outlaws Death by Chair
The decision to get rid of death by electrocution was won by a 4-3 decision by the Georgia Supreme Court. The chair was ruled as "purposeless physical violence and needless mutilation that makes no measurable contribution to accepted goals of punishment." The state moved to the use of lethal injection.
