1. In 1861, the Arkansas secession convention voted to secede from the United States and join the Confederate States of America. This decision would lead to years of conflict and devastation for the state during the Civil War.

2. On January 9, 1938, the Arkansas State Police was officially formed by order of Governor Carl E. Bailey. The force was created to replace the Arkansas Highway Patrol and provide law enforcement services throughout the state.

3. Arkansas native and rock-and-roll legend Levon Helm was born on January 9, 1940. Helm was the drummer and vocalist for the influential group The Band, and later enjoyed a successful solo career before his death in 2012.

4. On January 9, 1978, Governor David Pryor signed a bill officially designating the mockingbird as the state bird of Arkansas. The bird was chosen for its beautiful song and prevalence throughout the state.

5. In a tragic event on January 9, 1998, a school shooting occurred at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Four students and a teacher were killed, and ten others were injured, making it one of the deadliest school shootings to occur in the United States up to that time.