1. In 1803, the Mississippi Territory was officially organized by the United States Congress. The territory later became the state of Mississippi in 1817.

2. On April 30, 1863, Confederate General John Pemberton assumed command of the Army of Mississippi during the American Civil War. Pemberton would go on to lead the Confederate forces in the Battle of Vicksburg the following year.

3. In 1904, the first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) track and field meet was held in Jackson, Mississippi. The SIAA was a collegiate sports conference that included colleges and universities from the southern United States.

4. On April 30, 1917, Mississippi Governor Theodore G. Bilbo signed a bill that made it illegal for any person or corporation to print, publish, or circulate any "extreme, sensational, or morbid" stories or pictures in newspapers, magazines, or other printed materials in the state. The law was later ruled unconstitutional.

5. In 1975, Mississippi State University hosted the first "Cowbell Yell," which has since become a tradition before home football games. The event involves students ringing cowbells, which have been a symbol of Mississippi State athletics since the 1930s.