1. In 1961, civil rights activist James Meredith, with the assistance of the NAACP, applied to the University of Mississippi, marking the beginning of his fight to integrate the school. On May 27, 1963, he earned his degree, becoming the first African American to graduate from the university.
2. On May 27, 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority began construction on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, a canal system connecting the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers. The project, which would create a new transportation route for goods and provide hydroelectric power, ultimately took over 20 years to complete.
3. Blues legend Robert Johnson, whose music influenced artists like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, recorded his famous song "Hellhound on My Trail" on May 27, 1937, in Dallas, Texas. Johnson, who was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, is rumored to have sold his soul to the devil to gain his musical abilities.
4. On May 27, 1863, the Battle of Vicksburg began, a decisive Union victory in the American Civil War that allowed the North to gain control of the Mississippi River and effectively split the Confederacy in half. The siege of Vicksburg lasted for 47 days, with Confederate forces finally surrendering on July 4, 1863.
5. The Mississippi State Capitol building, located in Jackson, Mississippi, was completed on May 27, 1903. The building, which features a stately dome and neoclassical architecture, has housed the state's government for over a century and is a popular tourist destination.