1. On February 16, 1801, Tennessee became the first state to outlaw dueling, making it a crime punishable by imprisonment.

2. The Memphis Sanitation Strike began on February 16, 1968, when over 1,300 primarily African American sanitation workers in Memphis went on strike demanding better pay and working conditions. The strike gained national attention and eventually led to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis in April of that year.

3. On February 16, 1862, during the American Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant captured the Confederate stronghold of Fort Donelson in Tennessee, earning the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant.

4. The Tennessee Valley Authority Act was signed into law on February 16, 1933, creating a government agency charged with improving the economic development and quality of life for people living in the Tennessee River Valley.

5. The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, also known as the "Mother Church of Country Music," opened its doors for the first time on February 16, 1892. The iconic venue has hosted some of the biggest names in music, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Dolly Parton.