1. May 17, 1775: The Battle of Fort Sullivan was fought on this day on Sullivan's Island. The British Navy attempted to invade South Carolina, but were defeated by American forces under the command of General William Moultrie.

2. May 17, 1792: The South Carolina legislature passed an act creating Pendleton District, the first new district created since the state's founding. The district was named after Judge Henry Pendleton and included what is now Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties.

3. May 17, 1842: South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States on this day, declaring independence from the Union over the issue of states' rights and slavery. This led to the Civil War.

4. May 17, 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, declaring that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision had a significant impact on the civil rights movement in South Carolina and throughout the country.

5. May 17, 2006: The South Carolina State House flew the Confederate battle flag for the last time. The flag had been a highly controversial symbol of the state's history and legacy of racism, and its removal marked a major step forward in promoting equality and fairness for all South Carolinians.