1. The first recorded Christmas Day celebration in Georgia happened on December 25, 1734, by the founders of the city of Savannah, James Oglethorpe and his settlers.

2. On December 26, 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces launched a surprise attack on Confederate cavalry at the Battle of Cairo, also known as the Battle of Altamaha Bridge. The Union victory helped pave the way for the March to the Sea campaign.

3. December 26, 1917, marked the founding of the 118th Aviation Squadron in Atlanta, Georgia, which later became the 54th Fighter Group and served with distinction in World War II and beyond.

4. On December 26, 1923, Georgia Tech football player John Heisman resigned as head coach to become the athletic director at New York's Downtown Athletic Club, which would later award the Heisman Trophy in his honor.

5. December 26, 1971, saw the opening of the Lenox Square shopping center in Atlanta, which would become one of the most popular and upscale retail destinations in the Southeast.