1. In 1865, the burning of the city of Columbia, South Carolina by Union troops resulted in widespread devastation and civilian casualties. Confederate forces, including those from Georgia, were accused of arson and looting during the occupation that followed.

2. In 1917, the State Normal School in Athens, Georgia officially became the University of Georgia's College of Education, marking a major milestone in the history of the state's higher education system.

3. Civil rights activist and Georgia state representative Julian Bond was born on January 17, 1940. Bond was a key figure in the civil rights movement and was instrumental in the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

4. In 2019, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a new voter ID law that required individuals to show a photo ID when voting in person. The law drew criticism from civil rights groups who argued that it placed undue burdens on minority voters.

5. On January 17, 2021, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock became the first Black senator to be elected in the state's history. Warnock defeated incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler in a closely watched runoff election, helping to flip the Senate to Democratic control.