1. On November 15, 1777, Georgia ratified its first state constitution, making it the fourth state to join the United States. The constitution established a unicameral legislature and guaranteed basic rights such as freedom of religion and trial by jury.

2. In 1864, during the Civil War, Union General William T. Sherman began his devastating "March to the Sea" campaign from Atlanta to Savannah, passing through Georgia on November 15. The campaign was a turning point in the war, as it crippled the Confederacy's ability to wage war and hastened its eventual surrender.

3. On November 15, 1889, John Pemberton of Atlanta developed a new soft drink recipe that he called Coca-Cola. Pemberton's creation would eventually become one of the most popular soft drinks in the world.

4. The state of Georgia established its public health department on November 15, 1908. Headed by Dr. Charles N. Harris, the department was tasked with preventing and controlling the spread of disease and improving the health and wellbeing of Georgia's citizens.

5. The first official Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed in Georgia on November 15, 1983, on what would have been the civil rights leader's 54th birthday. Georgia was the first state in the nation to declare a holiday honoring Dr. King, who was born and raised in Atlanta.