1. Alabama became the 22nd state to join the Union on December 14, 1819. The state's capital, Montgomery, was not established until 1846.

2. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the modern Civil Rights Movement.

3. Tuskegee University, a historically black private university, was founded on December 1, 1881 by Booker T. Washington. The university is located in Tuskegee, Alabama and has a rich history in agriculture, education, and aviation.

4. The Battle of Mobile Bay concluded on August 5, 1864 after three days of intense fighting in the Mobile Bay area. The Union victory helped to secure control of the port and Bay of Mobile for the remainder of the Civil War.

5. The Alabama State Capitol building in Montgomery was completed on December 6, 1851. The building served as the seat of government for the state of Alabama until it was damaged by fire in 1961. It was restored and reopened in 1985 as a museum.