1. On January 29, 1861, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States. This decision ultimately led to the start of the American Civil War.

2. In 2014, on January 29th, the Boeing Company officially opened its first 787 Dreamliner assembly plant outside of Seattle, in North Charleston, South Carolina. This $1 billion facility transformed the region by creating thousands of jobs and drawing more investment to the state.

3. On January 29th, 1865, General William T. Sherman and his Union troops captured Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, during the Civil War. This event was a pivotal moment in the war's outcome and marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

4. In 1936, on January 29th, the South Carolina State Library was established. Over the years, the library has grown and expanded its services to include resource sharing, digital collections, and literacy programs for all ages.

5. On January 29th, 1972, Tom Gage became the first person to swim across the Charleston Harbor. The swim, which took him four and a half hours to complete, covered a distance of over two miles and drew a large crowd of spectators. Gage's feat inspired others to attempt the swim, and it has since become a popular endurance challenge for South Carolina swimmers.