1. On May 9, 1954, the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. This decision had a profound impact on Mississippi and the entire country, leading to the end of "separate but equal" laws and paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement.

2. On May 9, 1961, civil rights activist James Meredith became the first African-American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi. His admission was met with resistance from white students and community members, leading to a violent two-day riot that required federal intervention. Meredith's enrollment was a crucial turning point in the fight against segregation in higher education.

3. May 9, 1980, marks the date of a devastating tornado outbreak in Mississippi that killed 6 people and caused extensive damage to several towns and cities, including Hattiesburg and Natchez. The tornado outbreak was part of a larger weather system that affected multiple states, leading to a total of 73 deaths and $1 billion in damage.

4. On May 9, 2011, the Mississippi River reached historic flood levels, leading to evacuations and widespread damage in communities along the river. The flood was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt, and affected multiple states across the Midwest and South. It caused billions of dollars in damage and resulted in 4 deaths in Mississippi.

5. May 9 is also celebrated as Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi, a state holiday that honors the state's soldiers who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. This holiday is controversial and has been criticized for promoting a revisionist and romanticized view of the Civil War, which downplays the role of slavery in the conflict.