1. On April 17, 1961, the first integrated Little League game was played in Birmingham, Alabama. This was a significant moment in the civil rights movement, as it challenged racial segregation in the South.

2. The Siege of Fort Morgan took place on April 17, 1865, during the American Civil War. Union forces attacked the Confederate-held fort, located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, and ultimately emerged victorious.

3. On April 17, 1937, the Tennessee Valley Authority was formed. This federal agency was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal to provide economic development and flood control in the Tennessee Valley region, which includes parts of Alabama.

4. In 1901, on April 17th, Alabama adopted a new state constitution that effectively disenfranchised African Americans and poor whites. The state would soon become a hotbed of racial violence and discrimination that would persist for decades.

5. On April 17, 2004, Tuscaloosa, Alabama was struck by a powerful tornado that caused widespread damage and several fatalities. The storm was part of a larger outbreak that affected several states in the southeastern US.