1. In 1848, Sam Houston, the former Governor of Tennessee and President of the Republic of Texas, was re-elected as the Governor of Texas. Houston is remembered as a crucial figure in the history of Texas, leading the fight for independence from Mexico and guiding the new state through its formative years.

2. On February 24, 1899, the state of Tennessee passed an act establishing what is now known as Tennessee State University. Originally known as the Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School, the institution was created to offer higher education opportunities to African Americans in the state.

3. In 1930, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry made its radio debut on WSM. The popular radio program showcased the best in country music and launched the careers of many of the genre's most famous stars, including Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, and Dolly Parton.

4. Wilma Rudolph, a native of Clarksville, Tennessee and the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympic Games, was born on February 24, 1940. Rudolph overcame childhood polio to become a superstar athlete, inspiring a generation of young women to pursue their own dreams.

5. On February 24, 1955, the Memphis-based Sun Records released "Baby Let's Play House," a single by a young musician named Elvis Presley. The song became Presley's first national hit, helping to launch his meteoric rise to fame and cementing the city of Memphis as a hotbed of rock-and-roll innovation.