1. In 1865, Union forces captured Richmond, Virginia, ending the Confederate capital's long-standing grip on the South. North Carolina played a key role in Confederate efforts during the Civil War, and the end of the war signaled an important shift in the state's history.

2. On April 3, 1939, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons captured their first NCAA basketball championship with a 46-34 victory over Ohio State. The team was led by coach Murray Greason, who coached at Wake Forest for 17 years and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1971.

3. In 1973, the North Carolina Zoo opened in Asheboro, becoming the first state-supported zoological park in the country. The zoo now features more than 1,000 animals from around the world and spans over 2,000 acres.

4. On April 3, 1987, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano led the Wolfpack to an improbable NCAA championship victory over the heavily favored Houston Cougars. Valvano's emotional celebration on the court after the win remains one of the most iconic moments in college basketball history.

5. In 2015, North Carolina passed controversial legislation known as House Bill 2, which required individuals to use the public restroom that corresponded to their biological sex rather than their gender identity. The law sparked nationwide controversy and protests and was later repealed in 2020.