February 6, 1745

1745 Georgia’s Trustees voted to separate civilian and military authority in the colony of Georgia.

February 6, 1778

1778 Georgia’s House of Assembly -- the legislative body created by the Constitution of 1777 -- convened in Savannah. This marked the legislature’s second meeting since statehood. Because the constitution limited the governor to a one-year term with no succession in office, one of the first jobs of the 1778 legislature was to elect a successor to Gov. John Treutlen.

February 6, 1832

1832 Confederate general and Georgia politician John B. Gordon was born in Upson County, Georgia.

February 6, 1865

1865 The Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office issued General Order No. 3 announcing the appointment of Robert E. Lee as General-in-Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States.

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February 6, 1901

1901 Veteran movie actor Ben Lyon was born in Atlanta. He appeared in movies from 1919-1955. He died March 22, 1979.

February 6, 1926

1926 Comic actor Oliver Hardy signed a long-term movie contract with Hal Roach.

February 6, 1952

1952 Gov. Herman Talmadge signed several joint resolutions of the General Assembly, including:
A resolution calling on Congress to call a convention to propose a constitutional amendment to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment and instead allow a maximum rate of 25 percent on any federal income, transfer, gift, or inheritance tax.
A resolution calling on Georgia’s congressional delegation to do all in its power to encourage the U.S. Navy to relocate the Naval Supply School (which then was in Bayonne, New Jersey but was scheduled for removal) to the campus of the University of Georgia’s old Normal School in Athens, Ga.
A resolution urging U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell to run for the presidency.

February 6, 1956

1956 In a message to a special joint session of the Georgia House and Senate, Gov. Marvin Griffin urged the General Assembly to interpose its authority and declare the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decisions "null and void" in Georgia. As soon as the joint session adjourned, H.R. 185 was introduced invoking the doctrine of interposition.

February 6, 1956

1956 Gov. Marvin Griffin signed the following acts that were part of his "massive resistance" legislative agenda in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decisions in 1954 and 1955:
an act authorizing the governor to close any public school in the state ordered to integrate and to instead provide state educational grants to students to attend private schools.
an act making it a misdemeanor for any person to enter any state property that has been closed to the public.
an act allowing boards of education to lease public school buildings and property to persons or organizations for use as private schools.
an act allowing the State School Building Authority to lease its buildings and facilities for use as private schools
an act allowing teachers of public schools that close to continue participating in the state teachers’ retirement system if they began teaching in nonsectarian private schools.

February 6, 1981

1981 Eleven year old Patrick Baltazar disappeared in Atlanta. A week later his strangled body was discovered near an office park. He was the latest victim in the Atlanta Child Murders case.