1. On February 9, 1776, the South Carolina Provincial Congress declared the colony's independence from Great Britain. This was nearly five months before the Declaration of Independence was signed, making South Carolina one of the first colonies to formally break away.

2. In 1861, the Confederate States of America was formed in Montgomery, Alabama. South Carolina was one of the original seven states to secede from the United States and join the Confederacy.

3. On February 9, 1942, the SS Normandie, a luxury liner serving as a troop ship during World War II, caught fire and capsized in New York Harbor. The USS Yorktown, based in Charleston, was sent to assist with the salvage operation.

4. In 1960, Oconee Nuclear Station, South Carolina's first commercial nuclear power plant, began operations. The plant, located in Seneca, still produces electricity to this day.

5. On February 9, 2004, the University of South Carolina men's basketball team achieved its highest ever national ranking at No. 2 in the Associated Press poll. The team was led by future NBA star guard, Devan Downey.