1. On January 12, 1864, the Battle of Mossy Creek took place in Jefferson County, Tennessee during the Civil War. Union forces were able to repel a surprise attack from Confederate troops and hold their ground.
2. Memphis native and civil rights leader Benjamin L. Hooks was born on January 12, 1925. Hooks served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1977 to 1992.
3. On January 12, 1937, the Tennessee State Capitol building was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The building, located in Nashville, was completed in 1859 and served as the state capitol during the Civil War.
4. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performed its first concert on January 12, 1935. It is now one of the oldest and most respected orchestras in the United States.
5. Tennessee baseball legend Stan Musial was born on January 12, 1920 in Donora, Pennsylvania. Musial played for the St. Louis Cardinals for 22 seasons and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.