1. On December 27, 1939, Georgia-born actress Mary Pickford received a special Academy Award for her contributions to the motion picture industry. Pickford, who was born in Toronto, Canada, moved with her family to Augusta, Georgia in the late 1800s.

2. Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge, who served two non-consecutive terms in office from 1933 to 1937 and from 1941 to 1943, passed away on December 27, 1946. Talmadge was known for his controversial views on race relations and his opposition to the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

3. On December 27, 1961, Georgia Tech quarterback Billy Lothridge was named the MVP of the Orange Bowl, after leading the Yellow Jackets to a 14-7 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Lothridge was a two-time All-American and a first-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers.

4. Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy was born on December 27, 1956, in Portland, Oregon. Murphy played for the Braves from 1976 to 1990, and he won back-to-back National League MVP awards in 1982 and 1983.

5. December 27, 1822, marks the date that Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States of America. The state would go on to play an important role in the Civil War, with both Union and Confederate forces battling on Georgia soil during the conflict.