June 5, 1750

1750 John Twiggs was born in Maryland. His family moved to Georgia when he was a young child. During the American Revolution, Twiggs was a general in the Georgia militia. His military skills also were called into play after the war in fighting the Creeks and preparing Georgia for the War of 1812. In 1809, the General Assembly named a new county in his honor.

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June 5, 1775

1775 The first Liberty Pole in Georgia was erected in Savannah, which by this time was divided into two hostile factions.

June 5, 1781

1781 British Lt. Col. Thomas Brown surrendered Augusta to a combined force of Continental regulars under Gen. Lighthorse Harry Lee and Georgia and Carolina militia under Gen. Andrew Pickens and Col. Elijah Clarke.

June 5, 1913

1913 Responding to the statement of Lucille Frank the previous day, prosecutor Hugh Dorsey released his own statement denying any wrongdoing in arresting and questioning witnesses in the Mary Phagan murder case.

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June 5, 1955

1955 Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded a doctorate from Boston University.

June 5, 1960

1960 The recording company for 15-year-old Brenda Mae Tarpley released a record that would become a million seller and even bump Chubby Checker’s "The Twist" from number one on the record chart. The young Lithonia native had adopted the stage name of Brenda Lee, and her soon-to-be hit song was entitled "I’m Sorry."

June 5, 1962

1962 With Georgia still reeling from the Paris plane crash two days earlier, another tragedy occurred. A. Ed Smith, Republican candidate for governor, was killed in a car accident near Woodbury, Ga.