Greensboro, North Carolina

1960Woolworth's Sit-In: On February 1, four NC A&T freshmen — Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., and David Richmond — sat at the whites-only Woolworth's lunch counter and refused to leave. Within weeks, sit-ins spread to 55 cities across 13 states.

1781Battle of Guilford Courthouse: British General Cornwallis won a pyrrhic victory against American General Nathanael Greene, losing a quarter of his forces. The weakened British army retreated to Yorktown, where the war effectively ended.

1979Greensboro Massacre: Ku Klux Klan and American Nazi Party members shot and killed five Communist Workers Party members at a public rally. Despite video evidence, two juries acquitted the shooters in criminal trials.

1856Railroad Junction Established: The North Carolina Railroad connected Greensboro to the coast and mountains, making it a major freight and passenger hub nicknamed the Gate City.

2009International Civil Rights Center Opens: The museum opened in the original Woolworth's building, preserving the actual lunch counter where the Greensboro Four staged their historic sit-in.

1899Textile Industry Boom: Cone Mills and other textile manufacturers established massive operations, making Greensboro one of the textile capitals of the South for most of the 20th century.

1891NC A&T State University Founded: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University was established as a land-grant college for African Americans, growing into the largest HBCU in the nation.

1903O. Henry's Greensboro Roots: Author William Sydney Porter (O. Henry), who grew up in Greensboro, published his first short story collection, bringing literary fame to his hometown.

2018Honda Jet Headquarters: Honda Aircraft Company established its world headquarters in Greensboro, manufacturing the HondaJet light business aircraft and diversifying the economy beyond textiles.

1974Greensboro Coliseum Complex: The expanded coliseum complex became one of the largest event venues in the Southeast, hosting ACC basketball tournaments, concerts, and conventions.