1. On April 9, 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest led his troops in a surprise attack on Union forces stationed in Fort Pillow, Tennessee. The resulting massacre became one of the most controversial and brutal events of the Civil War.

2. On April 9, 1947, Mississippi native and baseball legend Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball by making his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson's pioneering efforts helped to change the face of American sports and paved the way for future generations of African American athletes.

3. On April 9, 1961, the Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists who rode interstate buses throughout the South to challenge segregation laws, arrived in Jackson, Mississippi. The riders were met with violent resistance from white supremacists, but their efforts helped to bring attention to the injustices of segregation and galvanize support for the civil rights movement.

4. On April 9, 1997, Mississippi native and blues musician John Lee Hooker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Hooker, who was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, was a seminal figure in the development of the blues and influenced generations of musicians with his distinctive sound and style.

5. On April 9, 2014, the state of Mississippi passed a controversial religious freedom law that critics argued would allow discrimination against LGBT individuals. The law, which was later struck down by a federal judge, sparked national debate over issues of religious liberty and LGBT rights.