1. On August 21, 1858, famed Mississippi writer and abolitionist William Wells Brown gave a speech in Natchez, Mississippi to a packed audience, railing against slavery and the mistreatment of African Americans.

2. On August 21, 1965, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer led a group of African American activists in a march to protest discriminatory voting practices in Sunflower County, Mississippi.

3. August 21, 2017 saw a total solar eclipse that was visible throughout much of the United States, including Mississippi, where residents gathered to witness the unique astronomical event.

4. On August 21, 1883, the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad was founded in Mississippi, connecting Gulfport to the interior of Mississippi and becoming a major force in the state's growing transportation industry.

5. August 21, 1959 marked the premiere of writer, director, and actor Lawrence Cook's controversial film "The Exiles," which explores the lives of Native American residents of Los Angeles, some of whom had roots in Mississippi. The film was banned in some theaters but is now considered a landmark in Native American cinema.