1. In 1817, Alabama became the 22nd state in the United States, with Montgomery as its first capital city.

2. On December 16, 1932, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra gave its first public performance in Birmingham. The performance was conducted by a young Bulgarian conductor, Nathaniel Shilkret, and featured guest soloist, cellist Emanuel Feuermann.

3. The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park was dedicated on December 16, 1964, in Mobile, Alabama. The park is home to the USS Alabama battleship, which served in World War II, as well as numerous other artifacts and exhibits.

4. On December 16, 1972, the legendary football coach Bear Bryant led the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to an undefeated season and national championship title.

5. In 2017, Doug Jones became the first Democrat in 25 years to win a US Senate seat in Alabama, defeating controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore in a special election held on December 12th. Jones was officially sworn in on December 16, 2017, making history as the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the US Senate since 1996.