1. In 1861, Georgia officially seceded from the United States and joined the Confederacy on January 8th, sparking the beginning of the Civil War.

2. On January 8, 1916, the Coca-Cola Company opened its bottling plant in Rome, Georgia, marking the company's expansion and continued success.

3. In 1973, Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 76th Governor of Georgia on January 8th, marking the beginning of his successful political career.

4. On January 8, 1940, Atlanta native and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. celebrated his 11th birthday, later becoming one of the most influential figures in American history.

5. In 1935, the first canned beer was sold in the United States on January 8th by the Krueger Brewing Company, pioneering the modern beer industry.