1. On January 11, 1861, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, sparking the beginning of the Civil War.

2. On January 11, 1911, the first flight in South Carolina took place when a plane piloted by aviator Howard Gill flew over the Clemson University campus.

3. On January 11, 1951, the U.S. Air Force began using the Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina as a center for strategic bombing missions during the Korean War.

4. On January 11, 1985, former South Carolina Governor Richard Riley was sworn in as the United States Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton.

5. On January 11, 2000, former South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell died after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. Campbell was known for his efforts to modernize the state's economy and improve education.