1. On May 20, 1780, the Battle of Waxhaws took place in Lancaster County, South Carolina. British forces led by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton defeated a group of Continental Army soldiers, but the victory was marred by reports of Tarleton's troops killing wounded soldiers and civilians. The incident became known as the Waxhaw Massacre.

2. On May 20, 1861, South Carolina seceded from the Union and became the first state to do so in the lead-up to the American Civil War. The decision to secede was ratified by a state convention in Charleston, and it would ultimately lead to four years of war that devastated the South.

3. On May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She departed from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, and landed in Culmore, Northern Ireland, after 14 hours and 56 minutes in the air. Earhart's achievement inspired generations of women to pursue aviation and other male-dominated fields.

4. On May 20, 1977, the South Carolina State House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building, which was completed in 1903, has served as the home of the state's government for more than a century. It features a distinctive copper dome and is known as one of the most beautiful state capitol buildings in the country.

5. On May 20, 2007, the USS Yorktown, a decommissioned World War II-era aircraft carrier, became a museum ship in Charleston Harbor. The ship, which saw action in the Pacific Theater and was present at the Battle of Midway, offers visitors a chance to explore its decks and learn about the history of naval aviation.