1. In 1807, Lewis Cass, a future governor of Michigan Territory and Secretary of War, arrived in Alabama to begin his service as the Governor of the Michigan Territory. He made his way across the state to his new post, stopping in Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville, and St. Stephens.

2. On August 17, 1862, Union and Confederate forces clashed in the Battle of Big Hill near Richmond, Kentucky. A number of men from Alabama fought in the engagement, including members of the 1st, 2nd, and 22nd Alabama Infantry Regiments.

3. In 1915, the Alabama State Fair Association held its annual meeting on August 17 in Montgomery. Members discussed plans for the upcoming state fair, which was set to take place later that year.

4. On August 17, 1954, the Governor of Alabama, Gordon Persons, signed a proclamation recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Alabama State Capitol. The building, which was completed in 1851, had served as the seat of government for Alabama for more than a century.

5. In 2017, a solar eclipse was visible across much of Alabama on August 17. While the state was not in the path of totality, many people were able to experience a partial eclipse and witness the sun being covered by the moon.