1. On January 17, 1781, the Battle of Cowpens took place in Spartanburg County during the Revolutionary War. The American forces, led by General Daniel Morgan, scored a decisive victory over the British army, which helped boost morale and turn the tide of the war in South Carolina.

2. On January 17, 1865, the burning of Columbia occurred during the Civil War. Union troops under the command of General William T. Sherman set fire to many buildings in the city, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

3. On January 17, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect, which prohibited the production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. This led to the rise of bootlegging and speakeasies in South Carolina and across the country.

4. On January 17, 1961, the University of South Carolina admitted its first African American student, Henrie Monteith. She and two other students had been denied entry the previous year, but a federal court ruled that they had the right to attend the university.

5. On January 17, 2000, former South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell died at the age of 56. He had served two terms as governor from 1987 to 1995, during which time he helped bring economic development to the state and was a strong advocate for education.