1. In 1795, Tennessee became the 16th state of the United States.
On October 10, 1795, Tennessee officially entered the Union as the 16th state, after it achieved statehood in June of that year. This made it the first state to be created from territory under the authority of the federal government, rather than from existing states.

2. The Battle of Nashville began on October 10, 1864, during the Civil War.
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day engagement between the Confederate Army of Tennessee and the Union Army of the Cumberland, fought in and around Nashville from December 15 to 16, 1864. However, the battle preparations and movements began on October 10, 1864, when Confederate General John Bell Hood set his army on the march towards Nashville.

3. Knoxville College was founded on October 10, 1875.
Knoxville College, a historically black liberal arts institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee, was founded on October 10, 1875. It was founded by the United Presbyterian Church of North America to provide a quality education to recently freed slaves and other African American students.

4. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established on October 10, 1934.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans across Tennessee and North Carolina, was established on October 10, 1934. It is the most visited national park in the United States, attracting more than 11 million visitors annually.

5. In 1993, Tennessee native Alex Haley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On October 10, 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Alex Haley, a Tennessee native and author of the landmark book Roots. Haley's work became a cultural phenomenon, sparking widespread interest in genealogy and the history of American slavery.