1. On February 12, 1909, the state of Tennessee ratified the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted Congress the power to levy income taxes.

2. On February 12, 1965, civil rights leader Malcolm X visited Nashville and spoke at Tennessee State University, encouraging African Americans to fight for their rights and to promote unity within their community.

3. In 1992, February 12 was declared "Plant the Seed of Learning Day" by Governor Ned McWherter to encourage Tennesseans to support education and invest in the next generation.

4. On this day in 2015, the Thomas F. Frist Jr. Center for Autism and Innovation was officially launched at Vanderbilt University, aimed at developing technology and practices to improve the lives of autistic individuals.

5. February 12 also marks the birth date of several notable Tennesseans, including author James Agee (born 1909), civil rights leader Diane Nash (born 1938), and musician Chet Atkins (born 1924).