1. On February 20, 1890, Mississippi became the first state in the United States to ratify the 14th amendment to the Constitution, which defines citizenship and equal protection under the law for all individuals.

2. Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was born in Decatur, Mississippi on February 20, 1925. Evers became the Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP in 1954 and worked tirelessly to desegregate schools and public places, register African American voters, and end racial violence. He was tragically assassinated in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963.

3. On February 20, 1964, the Mississippi House of Representatives voted to expel Representative Charles Evers, the brother of Medgar Evers, for refusing to support a segregationist candidate for the U.S. Senate.

4. In 1971, Mississippi Governor John Bell Williams declared February 20 as Robert E. Lee Day, a state holiday honoring the Confederate general. The holiday remains on the books in Mississippi, but is not widely observed.

5. On February 20, 2010, the Mississippi Blues Trail was officially launched in Jackson, Mississippi. The trail is a series of over 200 historical markers placed around the state, showcasing the rich history and culture of Mississippi blues music and its impact on American popular music.