1. On December 17, 1817, Mississippi was officially admitted as the 20th state in the United States of America. This followed the signing of the Mississippi Constitution earlier that year.

2. In 1862, during the American Civil War, Confederate forces under General Nathan Bedford Forrest launched a surprise attack on Union soldiers at Holly Springs, Mississippi on December 17th. The Union forces were caught off guard and forced to retreat, resulting in a significant victory for the Confederacy.

3. On December 17, 1944, the Mississippi State Championship Football game was held in Jackson, Mississippi. The game featured the Natchez Cathedral Green Wave and the Mize Bulldogs, with Cathedral emerging as the victors with a score of 26-13.

4. The Mississippi State Senate passed a resolution on December 17, 2018, honoring the life of blues legend Charley Patton, who was born on a plantation near Edwards, Mississippi in 1891. Patton is considered one of the most important figures in the development of the Delta blues style.

5. In 2019, the city of Meridian, Mississippi celebrated its 175th anniversary on December 17th. To mark the occasion, a special ceremony was held at the city's historic train depot, which also opened to the public for tours. Meridian was founded in 1844 and has played significant roles in the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement, and the development of the music industry.