1. In 1861, Mississippi voted to secede from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America. This decision would lead the state to become a major battleground during the Civil War.

2. In 1917, Mississippi ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. However, it wasn't until 1984 that the state officially ratified the amendment, making it the last state to do so.

3. In 1937, a tornado outbreak swept through Mississippi, killing over 200 people and causing widespread destruction. The city of Tupelo was particularly hard hit, and the disaster led to significant improvements in tornado warning systems and emergency response protocols.

4. In 1964, civil rights activists Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan in Neshoba County, Mississippi. The crime became known as the "Mississippi Burning" and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.

5. In 2019, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Mississippi-born blues artist, guitarist, and songwriter, Skip James. James was known for his distinctive finger-picking style and influential contributions to the Delta blues genre.