1. On June 8, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the United States and became part of the Confederacy, joining 10 other Southern states in the Civil War.

2. On June 8, 1949, a Gulfport, Mississippi radio station aired the first live broadcast of a hurricane, which marked a major milestone in meteorology and helped improve public safety during tropical storms.

3. On June 8, 1966, James Meredith, the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi, was shot and wounded while conducting a civil rights march from Memphis to Jackson. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and heightened tensions during the civil rights movement.

4. On June 8, 1982, the largest recorded hailstone in Mississippi history fell in the town of Coffeeville, measuring approximately 5.5 inches in diameter and weighing nearly a pound.

5. On June 8, 2014, a severe outbreak of tornadoes struck Mississippi and several other states in the Southeast, resulting in significant damage and several fatalities. The storms were some of the deadliest and most destructive in the state's history.