1. On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. The news of his death spread quickly, and Tennesseans who supported Lincoln were shocked and devastated.

2. Tennessee became the 16th state to join the Union on April 14, 1796. The state was created out of the Territory South of the River Ohio, which was ceded by North Carolina to the federal government in 1790. The state’s first capital was Knoxville, and its first governor was John Sevier.

3. On April 14, 1931, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created by Congress. The TVA was a New Deal program designed to provide flood control, electricity generation, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley. The TVA’s impact on the region was significant, and it can still be seen in the many dams and power plants along the Tennessee River.

4. April 14, 1862 marked the beginning of the Battle of Shiloh, a major battle in the American Civil War. The battle took place in southwestern Tennessee and lasted for two days. Over 23,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing after the battle, making it one of the deadliest battles in American history up to that point.

5. On April 14, 1972, the first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn, visited Tennessee as part of a tour of the state. Glenn spoke at several events, including a meeting with Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn and a lecture at the University of Tennessee. Glenn’s visit to the state was celebrated and covered by local media.