1. In 1955, an all-white jury in Montgomery, Alabama acquitted two white men, who were charged with the murder of a black teenager Emmett Till. The verdict sparked outrage and was a catalyst in the Civil Rights Movement.

2. On August 21, 1974, Alabama Governor George C. Wallace was shot by Arthur Bremer during a campaign rally in Maryland. The shooting left Wallace paralyzed and ended his political career.

3. In 1991, Alabama's first female governor, Lurleen Wallace, was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame. Wallace, who was married to Governor George C. Wallace, served as governor from 1967 until her death in 1968.

4. On August 21, 2006, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute celebrated the opening of its new exhibit "Standing up by Sitting Down: Alabama's Role in the American Sit-ins Movement." The exhibit highlights the state's significant contribution to the civil rights movement.

5. In 2017, the state of Alabama experienced a total solar eclipse on August 21. The eclipse was a rare celestial event and attracted visitors from all over the country to witness the phenomenon.