National Tennessee Day Date in the current year: October 26, 2025

Tennessee is a landlocked state in the American Southeast, bordered by Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia. Its name comes from the historic Cherokee settlement of Tanasi; the spelling “Tennessee” is attributed to South Carolina Governor James Glen. Tennessee’s nickname is “The Volunteer State” due to its strong tradition of military service dating back to the War of 1812.

The first Europeans to set foot in what is now Tennessee were Spanish explorers Hernando de Soto, Tristan de Luna and Juan Pardo in the mid-16th century. They encountered several Native American tribes, including the Muscogee Creek, Shawnee, and Yuchi. By the 18th century, most of these Native peoples had either succumbed to European diseases or been forced out of the state by migrating Cherokees from present-day Virginia.

The first European settlements in Tennessee were established by French fur traders. The first British settlement was Fort Loudoun, which was built by South Carolina settlers in 1756. The Cherokee captured it in 1760 during the Anglo-Cherokee War.

During the 1760s, the area that would become Tennessee was considered part of the British colonies’ western frontier. The area was inhabited by Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee, and sparsely settled by Europeans. During this decade, traders and settlers from North Carolina and Virginia began crossing the Appalachian Mountains into the valleys of the Watauga, Holston, and Nolichucky rivers, where they established early frontier communities.

By the early 1770s, these settlers had formed the Watauga Association, one of the first self-governing bodies west of the Appalachians. Although the territory was technically Cherokee land, the settlers leased it and established rudimentary laws and defense arrangements.

After the American Revolution, the settlers found themselves in a remote, loosely governed region. North Carolina initially claimed the land, but because it was far from the coast and difficult to administer, many settlers felt neglected. In 1784, they attempted to establish the State of Franklin under the leadership of John Sevier. The state operated independently for several years but was never formally admitted to the Union. It collapsed by 1788 due to political divisions and renewed North Carolina control.

In 1790, North Carolina ceded its western lands to the federal government, which organized them as the Southwest Territory. By 1796, the territory had surpassed the population threshold required for statehood. A state constitution was drafted, and Congress admitted Tennessee as the 16th state on June 1, 1796.

Like all national state days created by National Day Calendar, National Tennessee Day, does not coincide with the state’s anniversary of admission. The National State Days project celebrates states in the order they joined the Union, beginning with National Delaware Day on July 13. In this cycle, National Tennessee Day falls on October 26.