1. On August 17, 1786, the University of South Carolina was founded in Columbia. It was the first state university in the United States to receive a charter.

2. Governor Shepheard, on August 17, 1803, approved a bill that established the first institution for the deaf and blind in the United States. The South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind was the first of its kind in the country.

3. On August 17, 1862, Confederate General John C. Pemberton surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The surrender came after a 47-day siege and was a major turning point in the Civil War.

4. The Charleston Mercury newspaper published an article on August 17, 1860, calling for secession from the United States. This article was one of many that contributed to the state’s decision to secede from the Union just a few months later.

5. On August 17, 1915, the first successful transcontinental telephone call was made between New York City and San Francisco. This historic moment was made possible through the use of advanced technology developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories, which had several facilities in South Carolina.