1. On January 9, 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy, ultimately leading to the American Civil War.
2. On January 9, 1916, the state's first public radio station, WMAU, began broadcasting from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
3. On January 9, 1962, James Meredith, the first African American student admitted to the University of Mississippi, returned to campus to complete his degree after facing violent opposition and a federal court order.
4. On January 9, 1973, the Mississippi River flooded, causing major damage to towns and cities throughout the state and prompting a federally-declared disaster.
5. On January 9, 2007, a tornado outbreak struck Mississippi, causing significant damage and numerous fatalities across the state.