1. In 1865, Tennessee became the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the country. This historic vote paved the way for the eventual passage of the amendment by Congress and its adoption in December of that year.

2. On January 31, 1958, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the construction of the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River near Gilbertsville, Kentucky. The dam is one of the largest in the world, stretching over a mile long and reaching a height of 206 feet. It generates hydroelectric power and provides important flood control for the surrounding region.

3. In 1968, Memphis sanitation workers went on strike to protest poor working conditions and low pay. The strike gained national attention when civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. came to Memphis to support the workers. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while in Memphis, and the strike continued for two more months before the workers reached a settlement with the city.

4. On January 31, 1977, the city of Chattanooga was hit by a major snowstorm that dumped over a foot of snow on the area. The storm caused widespread power outages and transportation disruptions, and left many residents stranded in their homes for several days.

5. On January 31, 1996, the Tennessee Titans (then known as the Houston Oilers) announced that they would be moving to Nashville for the 1998 season. The team played their first game in their new home, the newly constructed Adelphia Coliseum (now Nissan Stadium), on August 27, 1999.