1. In 1962, the first African American students were admitted to the University of Georgia. Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes enrolled on August 31, 1961, but could not attend classes due to a violent crowd that had gathered around them. The following day, they were allowed to attend classes.

2. On August 31, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Warm Springs, Georgia, which he had visited frequently in the past. The visit was part of a tour of the South, during which he spoke out against lynching and urged increased spending on public works projects.

3. In 1994, the Georgia Dome opened in Atlanta. The multi-purpose stadium hosted the Olympics in 1996 and served as the home stadium for the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia State University football teams. It was demolished in 2017.

4. On August 31, 1870, Georgia became the last state to be readmitted to the Union following the Civil War. The state had been under military occupation since 1865 and was required to ratify the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a condition of readmission.

5. Rock and Roll legend Elvis Presley performed his last concert in Georgia on August 31, 1977, at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta. He died less than a month later on September, 8, 1977.