1. On December 5, 1876, the Mississippi legislature passed the Mississippi Plan, a set of laws designed to restrict voting rights for African Americans and maintain white supremacy in the state. The plan included poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures to disenfranchise black voters.

2. In 1955, civil rights activist and Mississippi native Medgar Evers was appointed as the first state field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Mississippi. Evers worked tirelessly to promote voting rights and end segregation, but was tragically assassinated outside his Jackson home in 1963.

3. On December 5, 1901, the first public library in Mississippi was established in Gulfport. The library was known as the "Harrison County Library" and was located in the courthouse. Today, the library system in Harrison County has grown to include nine branches.

4. In 1955, the University of Mississippi received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university, commonly known as Ole Miss, is the state's flagship institution of higher education and offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

5. On December 5, 1868, Mississippi became the first state to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed equal protection under the law. This amendment was a major step forward in the struggle for civil rights in the United States.