1. In 1943, the Battle of Attu in World War II came to an end with the recapture of the Japanese-held island by American forces. Many soldiers from North Carolina were among those who fought in the battle.

2. On May 8, 1792, the city of Raleigh was officially established as the capital of North Carolina. The city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, the English explorer who established the Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County.

3. In 1901, Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Johnson served as President from 1865 to 1869, and was the first President to be impeached by Congress.

4. On May 8, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States issued the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The decision was a major victory for the civil rights movement, and helped to pave the way for desegregation in schools and other public institutions.

5. In 2002, the Carolina Hurricanes, a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Hurricanes ultimately lost the championship to the Detroit Red Wings, but the team's success helped to raise the profile of hockey in North Carolina and throughout the Southeastern United States.