1. On December 26, 1862, a group of Confederate soldiers under General Earl Van Dorn launched a surprise attack on the Union army near Holly Springs, Mississippi. This raid succeeded in destroying $1.5 million worth of Union supplies, disrupting General Ulysses S. Grant's plans for a winter campaign.
2. In 1944, the movie "Meet Me in St. Louis" was released in theaters, featuring the now-famous Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," written by Mississippi-born songwriter Hugh Martin.
3. December 26, 2015, was the day that a tornado outbreak swept through Mississippi, destroying dozens of homes and buildings and causing several deaths and injuries.
4. The Vicksburg National Military Park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was established on December 26, 1899, to commemorate the siege and battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War.
5. On December 26, 1989, the world-record catfish weighing 121.5 pounds was caught in the Mississippi River near Vicksburg by catfish hunter Tim Pruitt. This record still stands today.