1. On December 23, 1738, the Georgia Trustees issued a proclamation establishing the town of Savannah as a city. The proclamation declared that Savannah would be a "proper, regular, and well-governed" city, and set out the rules for its government and administration.

2. On December 23, 1860, a Georgia secession convention voted unanimously to secede from the United States, joining other southern states in forming the Confederate States of America. Georgia was the fifth state to secede, and the decision helped set the stage for the Civil War.

3. On December 23, 1879, the Georgia State Capitol building was destroyed by fire. The building, which had only been completed in 1889, was a major loss for the state. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but it is believed to have started in the senate chamber.

4. On December 23, 1946, Georgia Governor Ellis Arnall announced that a new state flag would be adopted. The new flag, which featured the state seal on a blue field, replaced the controversial "Stars and Bars" flag that had been adopted during the Civil War.

5. On December 23, 1997, Georgia Governor Zell Miller announced that the state lottery had reached record sales of $1 billion. The Georgia lottery had only been in operation for five years at that point, but had already become one of the most successful lotteries in the country.